‘Free temples from State control’

Establish Sanatana Board with all Sankaracharyas

DWARKA

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati Maharaj of Dwarka has called for the establishment of a Sanatana Board with all four Shankaracharyas, all five Vaishnavacharyas should be included, and other widely recognized acharyas can also be incorporated into it. He went on to add that the government possesses neither the moral right nor the spiritual authority to manage temples. Governments are secular, whereas this is a matter of religion.

Nowhere else is there government discipline or intervention—it is not there in any mosque, it is not there in any church, it is not there in the gurdwaras. Government control exists solely over the religious places of Hindus.

Temples must be freed from government administration and liberated from state control. By including qualified individuals in the committee, the management should be handed over to them. This is our earnest request and our mandate."

Swami Sadanand Saraswati in a video that went viral stated that the stealing of money from the offerings to the temple could be attributed to the mismanagement by the officials who do not possess the knowledge. He further added, “The government officials neither possess scriptural knowledge nor do they have experience with religious traditions.

They do not know how to follow scriptural injunctions and prohibitions (Vidhi-Nishedh), and they are not the rightful authorities to perform religious rituals. Therefore, those who hold expertise in a particular domain, and the evidence that is validated by that expertise, should be granted the corresponding authority. If you assign tasks to unqualified people, the outcome will be exactly what happened in Ayodhya.”   

Difference in perspective

The religious public community regards religious sites like Ayodhya, Dwarka, Badrinath, and Tirupati Ji as the Tapobhumi (land of penance) of the Almighty and the great sages and seers. On the other hand, the government, administration, and politicians view them merely as tourist spots. This is the fundamental difference in perspective. Consequently, a sense of religious devotion does not awaken in their minds.

We desire that when people undertake a pilgrimage, they should have the aspiration to attain spiritual power in their minds. And spiritual power does exist there; positive energy resides there, which one should attain.

Therefore, for its management, a Sanatan Dharm Sanrakshan Samiti—should be formed. It should be formally announced, and it must include the country's universally accepted and undisputed acharyas.

People of all faith have been deeply pained. To ensure that such an incident never happens again at any other religious site, the *Sanatan Dharm Sanrakshan Samiti (Sanatana Board) must be established. By forming this structure, all religious rights and authorities should be handed over to that institution. This is the need of the hour, said Swami Sadanand Saraswati.

Dharmniti over politics

Referring to temple administration, the speaker cited an episode from the Ramayana. When Sage Vishwamitra sought to take Lord Rama with him, King Dasharatha initially refused. Vishwamitra then reminded him that a wise teacher never places a heavy responsibility on unworthy shoulders, for he knew Rama's true greatness.

The message, the speaker said, is simple: responsibility should be entrusted only to those with the merit, competence, and capability to fulfil it. Making alternative arrangements without considering qualification inevitably leads to poor outcomes.

This is not politics; it is Dharm-Niti (righteous policy), stressing that decisions concerning temples should be guided by Dharma, merit, and capability, rather than political considerations.

“Government officials do not have the knowledge of scriptures and experience in religious traditions. They are not rightful authorities to perform religious rituals.”

- Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Sadanand Saraswati Maharaj of Dwarka