By NNN-PTI,
Srirangam, India : Pay or move out is the ultimatum given by authorities of the famous Lord Ranganatha temple here in Tamil Nadu state to over 3,600 families residing in buildings constructed on temple land for ages without paying any rent.
Ownership of the land was bestowed on the temple during the British regime in 1866 and was confirmed again in 1910.
The deity at this 1,000-year-old Vaishnavite temple near Tiruchirapalli, 350 km from Chennai, ‘owns’ a 98-acre property. Over the centuries, shops and buildings sprung up in the area.
“We have waited for long. But at some point we have to establish the Lord’s ownership rights in the temples. That is why we asked those who had constructed houses and shops to pay a decent rent for the land or vacate so that we can take possession of these areas,” temple authorities told PTI.
The temple’s holdings came from land grants by various kings. It has the world’s tallest temple tower at its Southern gateway, at 235 feet high and has seven prakaras (rectangular enclosures) with the seventh one being Srirangam’s sanctum.
Shops and buildings had come up in the six prakars of the temple, the authorities said.
The administration of the temple is carried out by Tamil Nadu state government through the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR & CE) department.