Write-Up on the Book: "Hindu Temple Management"
The book is a first-ever systematic presentation on the art
of managing Hindu Temples,Maths and Ashrams. Temple Management
calls for a unique approach, completely different as compared to what may be
required to manage a commercial business, a property or even a charitable
institution. A temple manager’s work is more complex than that of any other
managers. It is not easy if he wants to run it in a way it should.
A temple manager is expected to be a superman; after all he
is the manager of God’s house. He is visualized as a person who is as kind as a
kind mother, friendly as a loving brother, strict as a tough father and
knowledgeable as a brilliant teacher. He is further required to be a ruthless
administrator and a strategist like a Chanakya. All of the above rolled in one!
A tall order? Certainly yes. For the temple manager to fit the bill, this book
helps provide ideas, milestones, flag posts, warnings and tools. It is expected
to enable those temple managers who want to make a success of their temples for
the good of the community along with the good of their own self.
Does a temple have any social responsibility? Spiritual
responsibility? Any dharmic responsibility? Should it be accountable?
What are pitfalls? How are a temple manager and staff to be remunerated? How to
use technology and how to still be independent of it? What about the laws of
the country? How can a temple engage a community and so also, how can
community, in turn, engage with temple? These and many other issues are
addressed in this book.
Hinduism by its very nature adapts to the needs of time.
Therefore if we find that temples are lacking in some of their ideals today, it
is not an insurmountable problem. It can
be overcome with some thoughtful corrections. It should be ensured that these
corrections be 100% dharma-compliant and yet reflect modern day
realities.
The first chapter gives ideas on how the management of a temple
is not similar to managing a business, a property or even a charitable institute;
it is much more than those.
The second chapter familiarizes a reader with ideas behind
building temples, how are they financed since time immemorial and details of
its structure. Also it lists what is expected and what is not expected from a
temple. Thus it sets the agenda of what is to come in the next chapters
The third chapter is the longest. It gives overview of temple
functions such as administration, maintenance, engagement with community-volunteering,
managing pooja rituals etc. and then goes headlong in detailing all the administrative
aspects that a temple manager should pay attention to.
Three important subjects are discussed in the fourth
chapter; efficient maintenance of the premises, ways of engaging with community
and interfaith protocols.
The fifth chapter deals with setting benchmarks for ideal pooja
rituals, choosing appropriate stotras, inspirational songs, various pooja
requisites and innovative ideas to achieve them.
The sixth chapter draws attention of temple managers towards
laws and bylaws governing aspects of running a temple and emphasizes that they
need to know local laws governing temples and the community the temples intend
to serve. It provides a few legal definitions, allowed and disallowed temple-practices
etc.
As end-notes, the book asks 55 teaser questions and provides
their short answers that also serve as a quick revision of the book.
What this book does not provide is equally important to
understand for the readers. This book does not aim to teach Religious Rituals,
Sanskrit Language, Hinduism, Yoga, Meditation or Astrology. These subjects are
avoided so as not to dilute message of this book which focuses on the
management aspect of temples.
It is hoped that this book will go a long way in improving
management of temples. It is recommended that every temple retain a copy. If
the temple owners/managers/trustees were to program a reading of this book at
least once for the benefit of their staff, it would prepare ground for setting
a minimum common denominator for the temples in the art of good-temple-management.
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The book is hard-bound and has 164 pages (155+ix). It is published by Global Vision Publishing House,
New Delhi.
Your local book-store can get it for you or can be purchased by
contacting publisher:
Global
Vision Publishing House,
F-4,
Ist Floor, 'Hari Sadan', 20, Ansari Road, Daryaganj (Near Delhi Book Store), Delhi
: 110002 India.
Phone 011-23261581,
23276291, 64694271, 43575199, 43037885
Mob. 9810644769
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Author, Mr. Nilesh M Shukla, has also written
another path-breaking book: “Bhagavad Gita and Hinduism, What Everyone Should
Know”
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