Hindu Administrative Institutions c12.s4.28

c12.s4.28

Before we close, mention must be made of the temple Committee, probably annually elected like the others and subject to the control of the village *sabhā*. Inscription No. 66 of 1923, dated the sixteenth year of *Rājarāja* mentions the temple Committee of eight members called *maṇṛādivāriyam*, which supervised the temple revenues from land and other sources and also conducted festivals.¹ The Tanjore temple inscriptions give a detailed working of the temple Committee in all aspects of temple activities which bear witness to tendencies for corporate life in ancient South India. The temple was in those times a busy and important centre. The princely endowments made by the kings of the Pallava, Chola, and the Pāṇḍya dynasties have made the temple a great centre of civic life. The endowments (*devadāna*), were generally of lands, money, live-stock, besides oil, rice, vegetables, fruits, sandal, cakes, incense, etc. The committee examined the accounts submitted by the temple accountants in respect of grains and other produce. Special priests were appointed (invariably from the Brahman community) to perform sacred worship. The chief priest was assisted in his service by Brahman bachelors (*brahmachārins*). There were also servants to carry water, to supply garlands and flowers, and to cultivate them. Provision was also made for four *yogins*, three *bhairavins*, four *yogīśvaras*, a music party of ten, twenty-four dancing girls, one astrologer, singers of the *tiruppaḍiyam* and the *tiruvoymoḷi*, the teacher of *vyākaraṇa*, a potter, a washerman, a carpenter and a superintendent. Wealthy Brahmans served as temple treasurers, as is evident from an inscription of *Rājarāja* the Great. Further there were alms-houses attached to the temples. Probably the superintendent had to attend to the repairs in the temple buildings. The temple was a regular school in which, from the *Veda* down to technical literature, all subjects were taught. There is evidence of a hostel for students and a hospital attached to the school. Thus the temple became an active centre of both higher learning as well as popular learning. There is every reason to believe that the village temple of the ancient Tamil land was a centre of cultural life.