BENGALURU: Priests are struggling to make ends meet with temples closed due to the lockdown.
Karnataka has over 34,000 temples under the endowments department, of which 175 are Class A (annual revenue is above Rs 25 lakh), 158 are Class B (annual income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh) and the rest are Class C temples (less than Rs 5 lakh). Thousands of temples run by individuals, trusts and organisations.
Vijay Acharya (name changed), whose livelihood depends on performing pujas in houses, cannot go around. “Neither can I take my two-wheeler out nor is there any transport. We do not come under any government scheme. We don’t know what to do,’’ he said. One of his devotee sent him 10 kilo of rice and two kilo of dal. “But we need money to buy vegetables and other items,’’ he said.
Endowments Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary told TNIE that priests working in Class A and B temples have a fixed salary. “We have given directions to officials not to stop salaries of priests and others who work on contract,’’ he said. In Class C temples which are large in number, priests depend on devotees’ offerings. “We are in talks with the labour department to provide foodgrain kits to archaks, those who play instruments and other staff at these temples. Archaks working in non-endowment temples can also be considered for this,’’ he said.
