Studies in Cola History and Administration c10.50

c10.50

worship, fixed the turns of worship among them, and administered the endowments for the supply of flowers, oil, ghī or other offerings, and so on. It has been rightly said of Hindu temples * that "they were fortresses, treasuries, court-houses, parks, fairs, exhibition-sheds, halls of learning and of pleasure, all in one," and unless the large place filled by the temple in the social and economic life of its neighbourhood is firmly grasped, it would not be easy to understand why the kings and their chieftains, the village-assemblies and the people were so constantly pre-occupied with the temple and its affairs. It may be observed, in passing, that when private persons rendered any extraordinary service of lasting value to a temple, it was recognised by distinctions, sometimes of a hereditary character, being conferred on them by the Sabhā and the authorities of the temple concerned. † The subtle appeal to personal vanity that is made by public honours and that often leads to large benefactions from the rich is thus not altogether modern.