Why only Hindu religious places are under Government’s control but non-Hindu religious places are not ? : H.H. Ramagiri Maharaj Muthadhipati, Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan, Nagar

The Third Temple Trusts Conference begins at Shirdi in the presence of Saints and hundreds of Temple Trustees

While inaugurating the third ‘Maharashtra Mandir Nyas Parishad From left : Mr Sunil Ghanwat , H.H. Raghaveshwaranand Giri Maharaj (lighting lamp), H.H Ramesh Giri Maharaj, Sadguru Satyawan Kadam, Mr Girish Shah and  Mr Pradip Tendolkar

Shirdi, Maharashtra – Temple culture has been preserved by Saints even in adverse conditions. Presently, Hindus do visit places of pilgrimage but they are not concerned about maintaining the sanctity of such  places. Spirituality should be in our every breath and in every drop of blood. If we remain indifferent towards our Dharma, it would be difficult to survive for Hindus. None of the mosques or churches has been taken over by the Government in India even when transactions worth millions of rupees are going on in them. Hindus need to exert pressure on the Government for release of their temples from Government’s control, appealed H.H. Ramagiri Maharaj, Muthadhipati of ‘Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan’ during the third Maharashtra Temple Trust Conference started at ‘Shri Sai Palakhi Niwara’ Hall, on Nagar- Manmad Road, on 24th December 2024 in the holy presence of Saints. More than 750 temple trustees and representatives are participating in this conference from across the State.

H.H. Ramagiri Maharaj

The conference started amidst slogans of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, ‘Sanatan Hindu Dharmacha Vijay Aso’, etc. The trustees and representatives attended the conference after seeking blessings at Jyotiba Mandir, Pandharpur’s Vitthal-Rakhumai Temple, Kolhapur’s Shri Ambabai Temple, Nashik’s Shri Kalaram Mandir etc. In this two-day conference, there were discussions and guidance on contribution of temples in propagation of Hindu Dharma; proper management of temples; prevention of malpractices in temples; facilities to devotees, dress code to be followed while going to temples and the solutions to problems faced; besides deciding further course of action.

The dignitaries who lighted the lamp while inaugurating the conference were Mr Pradip Tendolkar, the president of ‘Shri Jivdani Mandir Sansthan’; H.H. Rameshgiri Maharaj from ‘Rashtrasant Janardan Swami (Maungiriji) Maharaj Samadhi Mandir’ of ShriKshetra Kopargaon; Sadguru Satyawan Kadam, ‘Dharmapracharak’ Sanatan Sanstha; H. H. Raghaveshwaranand Giri Maharaj, Muthadhipati of ‘ShriKshetra Raghaveshwar Devasthan’; Mr Girish Shah, national managing trustee of ‘Samasta Mahajan Sanstha’, and Mr Sunil Ghanvat, national coordinator of ‘Mandir Mahasangh’. The dignitaries on stage were felicitated after lighting of lamp.


Revival of Temple Culture is Unavoidable for the Protection of Nation and Dharma

The message sent by Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Athavale for the third Maharashtra Temple-Trusts Conference at Shirdi

Bharat was a prosperous and enriched country in ancient times. People were happy and satisfied with life. Worldly and ethereal, ephemeral knowledge and arts were practised at that time. The reason for the same was temples were the foundation stones, in true sense, of Sanatan Dharma. The knowledge under Sanatan Dharma was propagated, conserved and preserved through the medium of the temples, resulting in creating virtuous, patriotic, intelligent and bright young generation. In short, the conservation of temple culture is inclusive of not only spiritual but all-round development of the nation. Unfortunately, in present times, the glorious legacy of temples has become weak. People have devotion for God through temples but patriotism and power of Dharma is not generated. Ram-Mandir has been constructed but ‘Rama-Rajya’ is yet to be established. It is, therefore, inevitable for every temple to revive the temple-culture for protection of Nation and Dharma if ‘Rama-Rajya’ is to be truly established.

– Sachchidananda Parabrahman Dr Jayant Athavale, Founder, Sanatan Sanstha (24.12.2024)

H. H. Ramagiri Maharaj further stated –

  • It is unfortunate for Hindus that the money offered in temples by devotees for ‘Dharmakarya’ is spent on other things. Such money should be used for setting up Sanskrut colleges, educating children on spiritual science, etc. We are paying tax separately for development, so why is temple money used for it ?
  • Temples can be used for propagation of Dharma. We are trying to motivate young men to go to temples, and recite ‘Hanuman-Chalisa’. There are various means of entertainment; but the satisfaction of mind can be experienced only in temples. A person feels calm on going to temple when he is facing some problem; but atheists are trying to defame temples.
  • Donations worth millions of rupees are received by Shri Saibaba Sansthan, Shirdi; but is that money used for ‘Dharmakarya’ ? It is unfortunate for Hindus that Tirupati’s Balaji Devasthan has been handed over to atheists for management.
  • Temples are attacked at many places. When a person feels depressed in life, he wants to be with someone whom he feels close to. He feels relieved when he opens up his mind in front of God; therefore, temples are required. Temple is a place of sacredness and divinity.
  • God-Principle manifests through the idol of the Deity, invoking spiritual emotion. Social activists, however, don’t consider temples as places for social work. Feelings created on seeing a film heroin are different from emotions awakened on seeing an idol in a temple which is the supremacy of temples.
  • Temples are needed for creating calmness, stability and purity of mind. We try to keep the ideal of a Deity when we know the life story of that Deity; therefore, temples are in a way, centres of even social service.

The First Day of the Conference

The audience

The conference started with blowing of a conch and recitation of Shri Ganesh-shloka. Mr Vaibhav Joshi and Nilesh Joshi recited ‘Veda-mantras’. The priests were felicitated by Mr Kisan Gangurde, a trustee of ‘Vaijnath Mahadev Devasthan’ and a retired military officer. Sanatan’s Sadguru Satyawan Kadam read out the message sent by Sadchidanand Parabrahma Dr Jayant Athavale, specially for the conference. Later, the Saints and dignitaries were welcomed with garlands and ‘shawl-Shriphal’. Mr Sunil Ghanvat explained the purpose of holding the temple-trust conference.

The conference was moderated by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Spokespersons Mr Satish Kochrekar and Mr Vipul Bhopale.

Felicitation of Saints

H. H. Pappaji Puranik Maharaj of ‘Om Jai Shankar Adhyatmik Pratishthan’ Muth, Pune; advocate H. H. Suresh Kulkarni, the founder-member of ‘Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad’; Sanatan’s ‘Dharmaprasarak’ Sadguru Swati Khadye; Mr Rajaram Bodhe, ‘Adhyatma Prasar-Pramukh’ of ‘Akhil Bharatiya Shri Gurudev Datta Gurukul Ashram’, Amaravati; Ha. Bha. Pa. Sambhaji Maharaj Apune from Pune; Dr Prakash Munde, Pune; Ha. Bha. Pa. Mahesh Maharaj of ‘Nrusimha Saraswati Swami Maharaj Sansthan’, and Santosh Lonkar, a representative of ‘Shri Sadguru Ramnath Maharaj Devasthan’, Mahant H.B.P Abhimanyu Maharaj Shastri of Shrikshetra Hanumangad in Beed, Mr Rajendra Gadge Maharaj of Dattadham Sarkar.

Temples are the source of energy and not tourist places. Hindus will revive  Dharma if they get ‘Dharmashikshan’ in temples as that will invoke in them, love and respect for Dharma. It was, therefore, resolved by hundreds of temple trustees, who gathered in the sacred land of Shirdi, to free temples from Government’s control and fight with unity for making temples as centres of pro-Hindu organisations.