Conclusion

Madurantakam, a taluk headquarters and a municipality of the present day is a renowned place in the olden days because of the reputed massive temples that are situated in and there. This places situated on the N.H. at a distance of 80 km., from Madras. The noteworthy feature of the place in olden days are the existence of three remarkable temples, namely,Kothandarama Perumal Temple, Madurantakam, Akshesvara temple at Achcharapakkam and Sri Ventakatesvara temple, Kadapperi. In the pre-British days s the tank was constructed, known as ‘Madurantakam Tank’. It was constructed by damming up the small Kiliyur river which rises in the hill at Wandewash. This work owes its existence to Lionel Place (1876) the then Collector of the Chingleput District, who connected and strengthened the banks of two smaller tanks with a Calingula or escape at the northern end. This Calingula has been considered as one of the finest works of its kind in the country. It is built in the form of a waved line and the height from the crest to the bed of the river below, is ten metres. The southern portion is a very curious and beautiful specimen of masonry. Instead of being built in steps, the descent is formed to imitate the curve which the flood water takes in afresh, and huge blocks of granite have been hewn into this shape, and are bound with lead. In the pillar, at the northern end of the tank contains an inscription which records that the tank was completed by Mr. Place in 1798 after being twice carried away, and give details as to the cost etc.

The Madurantakam Taluk is one of the main paddy growing regions in the present Kanchipuram district. This taluk is blessed with innumerable tanks and notable among them Madurantakam tank, with an ayacut of 2,900 acres. The presence of a number of tanks has facilitated cultivation of paddy crop on a large scale. The loamy soil together with the endeavours of the hard working ryots of this taluk has made the taluk one of the main paddy producing pockets the district. The climate of the taluk is temporate and is affected by both the monsoons, the south-west and north east. The eastern part of the taluk is surrounded by the sea. This taluk is dotted with numerous temples. Each and very village of the taluk had temple of repute.

Temples formed the center of social life in and around Madurantakam. They integrated the various segments of the society from diversity. Pilgrims and devotees from various places visited the temples, offered worships, participated in festivals and integrated themselves with the culture of the land. Daily, weekly, monthly and annual festivals were conducted with much paraphernalia. The car festivals celebrated with much eager were a time for physical exercise to the devotees, especially those in the lower ladder of the society. The procession of various deities through the streets of the temples gave them an opportunity of dharsan of the deities to all in the society alike. The people found in them a time to entertain their feelings and emotionally integrate themselves with the deity. Most of these temples in Madurantakam region imparted education, recited religious texts both in Sanskrit and Tamil and conducted religious discourses of great importance which gave them ample scope for intellectual contemplation. The sculptured and painted scenes from mythologies about the deities and other scenes of dance, music and other fine arts are rich feasts to the eyes. Variety entertainments such as dance, drama, music and other physical exercises held within the temple precincts not only attracted the masses but eased their tension. Hierarchies of servants including both artistes and artisans employed in temples earned their daily bread, and found a way to express their excellence. Besides, temples as courts of justice and banks preserved communal harmony and saved the people from distress and difficulties. Thus, all these charitable and benevolent activities enabled the temples to integrate the people from disunity and disintegration.

Temple is a place of worship. A sacred house gods and goddesses, it catered to the religious needs of the people and provides a link between man and god and the earthly life and the divine life. Worshipping gods in temples not only infuses divinity and purity to the heart of the devotees but their religious impulses and sentiments finds a natural outlet. They believed that if gods and goddesses were appeared there would be rain and prosperity. Hence the heavenly beings were pleased with offerings of abhishekhas (sacred baths) and oblations and rituals and festivals according to agamic prescriptions. The daily worship in a temple is known as nityapuja. Generally, the ritual in a temple consists of four celebrations which take place at sun rise, noon, sunset and midnight. However, the number of times the ceremonial worship has to, be conducted depend on the traditions of the respective temples. According to pancaratragama the daily pujas were expected to be offered from a minimum of one to a maximum of twelve. Almost everyone in the village s of Madurntakam Taluk offered worship at specified times. On special celebrations and festival occasions, people from far and near thronged the temple. The Land Lords too visited the temples to offer their obeisance and to worship the deities On such occasions, they performed tulabhara ceremonies, instituted special pujas known as sandhis in their names and participated in festivals. While the rich received the divine dharsan from the temple, the poor obtained the dharsan of the divine, the god and sovereign, the ruler. During worship, the people got together with a spirit of oneness forgetting caste and other differences. Impressive celebrations of various festivals too brought together vast concourse of people to take part in the ritualistic perambulation of deities. Named mostly in the Tamil months, festivals like chittirai, vaikasi, ani, adi, avoni, purattasi, aippasi, karthikal, margazhi, tai,. masi and pankuni were celebrated in the respective months. Tamil epigraphs bear evidences to the fact that each and every month was made auspicious for the conduct of festivals. Different festivals like chittiral barani, chittirai tiruvonam and chittirai vishu were celebrated in the same month.. Other than these. annual festivals known as brahmàtsavam or mahotsavam was celebrated, mostly for ten days with all pomp and splendour in all temples. Besides, the terottam (car festival), the teppotsavam (floating festival), and the tirukalyanam (sacred marriage) were the most colourful and impressive festivals. Thousands of people from the neighbouring villages, towns and even far off places took part in all these occasions. The congregation of people at a place gave them an opportunity to mingle together on friendly terms. Matrimonial alliances were settled on such occasions. In the car festival, people of all communities co-operated together without any sense of pollution. In the car festival at various temples in and Maduratnakam and Kanchipuram the paraiyars were entitled to take the first vadam (rope). There was no distinction on the basis of caste. Untouchability and unapproachability were not heard of in the vicinity of temples during worship and festivals which integrated the people.

Sri Kothandnaramar Temple is one mile from the Madurantakam railway station. King Uthama Chola alias Mathirantakan, the predecessor of Raja Raja, the Grreat gave away the village as a gift to Brahimins for reciting the Vedas. It is, therefore, known as Madurantakam Chaturvedi Mangalam. The temple should, therefore, have -been in existence even then, The name of the deity is Sri Kothandaramar and His consort is Sri Janakavalli Thayar. The temple for Thayar was, however, built only in 1798 by Col. Lionel Place who was then the Collector of Chingleput. The story as to how an European District Officer built a Hindu temple is very interesting. It is as follows “There is a big irrigation tank in this village which irrigates about 3,000 acres of land. Every year due to heavy rains, there were breaches in the tank and the flood waters damaged the crops; during 1795-1798 A. D. the Collector of Chingleput decided to take suitable steps to prevent such breaches. In 1798, he camped at Madurantakam with the Engineers of the Public Works Department in the rainy season. -During his rouunds, he came to the temple. He received a warm welcome from the residents and the temple authorities and was invited to see the temple. After removing his shoes he went inside the shrine; he saw heaps of stones being kept in its precincts. When questioned, Inc Archakar of the temple replied that they were collected for building a separate shrine for the consort of Sri Rama and that on account of damage to crops, the villagers have been unable to give donations for this purpose. On hearing this, the Collector challenged that if their God Rama would prevent breaches in the tank, he would himself build a separate temple for Sri Janakavaili. Later, he returned to the Travellers Bungalow. On the said night and next day there were heavy and continuous rains. To satisfy himself that the Public Works Department authorities had made proper arrangements to prevent breaches, he walked along the tank bund. When he was near the sluice where breaches usually occurred, he saw two divine persons with bows and arrows guarding the bund. At once he threw down his hat and umbrella and knelt down and prayed to the Lord. As his followers did not see the divine vision, they thought that Collector Place had slipped and fell down. He proclaimed that he had a vision of Sri Rama and Lakshmana guarding the tank’s bund. There were no breaches that year.

Collector Place kept up his promise and arranged to build a separate temple for Sri Janakavalli. Even now one can see a slab on the wall of Sri Janakavalli with an inscription citing the charity of Collector Lions Place. The temple possesses both antique and modern jewels. It owns 080 cents of wet lands. Poojas are performed twice daily. A fee for abishekam and celebrating Uthsavam is levied.‘Kalyana Uthsavam’ in the month of Panguni is the main festival of the temple. About 500 people from neighbouring villages attend it. An Executive Officer appointed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board is in charge of its management. There are also five trustees.

Acharapakkam, the headquarters of the Acharapakkam Panchayat Union is about 15 km. from Madurantakam and has railway station in its name at a distance of about one kilometre. This place which is one of the important Sivasthalas, was sung by the Nayanmars, Sambandhar, Tirunavukkarasar, Manickavasagar, Sekkizhar and other poets. There are a few interesting stories which explain the name cause of the village. One of them is that Tharakatchan, Viyanmali and Kamalatchan had a quarrel with the Devas and used to torture them and other people with their three flying forts’. The Devas begged for help from Lord Siva who promised to destroy the forts. The Devas prepared a chariot for Lord Siva to use in the battle against the three persons. They had the earth as the chariot proper, the four vedas as four horses, Lord Brahma as the driver, the sun and the moon as the wheels, the Meru Mountain as the bow, Lord Thirumal as the arrow, Agni (Fire God) as the arrow’s sharp point, Adhiseshan as the string and Vayudeva as the chariot wings. The devas, amongst their busy war preparations forgot or neglected Lord Vinayaka, who in return thought it fit to teach the Devas a lesson, broke the axle of the chariot. The place at which the axle was broken was called Achirupakkam (Achu + Iru + Pakkam) Achu=axle; Iru=broke; and, Pakkam=Village. Achirupakkam has later been corrupted as Acharapakkam. Another story is that the Pandya King deputed his Minister to bring sand from the Ganges. When the carts returned with sand, the river Vaigai was in spates and the axles of the vehicles which broke rendered the vehicle immobile. On the suggestions from some passersby, the Minister visited a nearby Konnai tree where he found a big hole and saw a golden coloured fresh lizard entering it. When he suddenly shot at it, to his amazement he saw blood oozing out of the hole. When the bushes there were cleared, he could see a Linga. He was quick to convey these facts to the Pandya King, who, on the suggestions from the Minister, ordered the construction of a temple on that spot. When the king came there to attend the Kumbabishekam, he found two Sivalingams installed in the temple, with two different sanctum sanctorums “the Swayambu Lingam” opposite to the sacred pillar, and the other opposite to the gopuram entrance. The Minister when enquired about this, explained to the king that Swayambu Lingam was ‘Emai Atcheesar’ and the other ‘Umai Atcheesar’. Daily poojas are offered, even now, to both the Sivalingams.

A number of inscriptions found on the walls of this temple, describe the donations made by Pandya, Chola and Vijayanagar kings. The Brahmotsavam of this temple is celebrated during April-May. Festivals attract a large gathering from far and near. This town panchayat has travellers’ bungalow. The main occupation of the people of this village is agriculture.

The Tiruvenkateswarar Temple of Kadapperi also had the inscriptions of Pandyas and Vijayanagar kings. The inscription of Pandya King Ko Maravarman alais Kulasekharadeva on the inner side of the east wall of the second prakara, refers to gift of lamp. The inscription of Vijayanagara King, Praudba Devaraya on the inner side of the south wall of the second prakara, records the gift of the village Karunguli to the temple.

The Tiruvenkadudaiyar temple consists of the many features. The temple is facing east. The square garbagraha is enshrined with Linga, next to garbagraha is antrala which is connecting ardhamandapa. The entrance of the antrala is embellished with the sculptures of Iratai Vinayaka. The ardhamandapa houses the shrine for Nataraja and Amman which is facing south and a raised platform in the northern side is adorn with bronze images of Someskandar, Vinayakar, Amman etc., The raised platform on the southern side is adorn with the sculptures of Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar and Manikavarasakar The ardhamandapa consists of six pillars in two rows. Adjacent to ardhamandapa is a room adorned for utchavar deity. The entrance of the ardhamandapa is flanked with two dwarapalakas on either side. Next to the ardhamandapa is followed by mahamandapa. The Nandi and Balipitha are seen in the pillared mahamandapa facing the main deity in an axial line. Shrine for Uttchavar is adorned adjacent to the mahamandapa. The southwestern corner of the mahamandapa is adorned with store room, which leads pillared corridor and inner circumbalatory path.On the southeastern of the Southern corridor a small shrine for Vinayaka is enshrined and northeastern corner of the northern corridor sculptures of Vinayaka, Linga and Murugan with his consorts are placed. The Northern side of the inner prakara a small shrine for Chandikesvara is enshrined. The northern side of the mahamandapa has a raised plat form adorned with sculptures of four types of Bairava.The mahamandapa is preceded by mukhamandapa. The mukhamandapa is adorned with the sculpture of Bhuvaneswari Amman and Pandiswarar in the form of Linga. The northern side of mukhamandapa has separate shrine for Meenakshi Amman with Simha (Lion), balipitha and dwajasthampa in an axial line. The southern side of the mukhamandapa is adorned with vahanas. The mukhamandapa has fleets of steps on east and south side leads to the circumbulatory path or outer prakara. The eastern side fleets of steps leads to the four pillared nandimandapa, dwajasthampa and balipitha in an axial line facing garbagraha and followed by gopura. The eastern side of the prakara consists of office and madapalli. The southwest side of the outer prakara consists of raised two pillared platform for Narthana Vinayaka with modern construction is found. The northeastern side of the outer prakara has six pillared alankaramandapa. Navagraha is also seen near the alankaramandapa. This leads to the entrance adorned with five tiers gopura. There is a raised platform on either side of the entrance, whereas the sculpture of Vinayaka is seen in the southern side raised plat form. The temple is encompassed by highly raised madhil and the four corners of the Madhil is embellish with Nandi. The temple tank lies in the eastern side of the temple. There is a dilapidated mandapa called Natakasalai is adorned in front of the outside the temple. Temple ratha (Car) is on the right side, out of the temple.

Madurantakam Taluk comprises of innumerable temples. Some of the renowned temples constructed before five hundred years are Sri Kothandaramar Temple of Madurantakam, Sri Aksheeswaraswamy Temple of Acharapakkam and Sri Venkateswarar Temple are the prominent and ancient temples in Madurantakam Taluk. Kothandaramar Temple is one mile away from the Madurantakam railway station. Uthma Chola alias Madurantakan created the village Madurantakam. The name of the presiding deity is Sri Kothandaramar and His consort Sri Jankavalli Thayar. Sri Aksheeswaraswamy Temple, located at Acharapakkam was built by the Pandya Kings His consort is Sri Balambal. Sri Venkateswarar Temple at Kadaperi village is four furlongs from Madurantakam railway station. This temple is a an ancient one, but it is not known when it was built. The temples and their inscriptions in Madurantakam Taluk throws much light the social, cultural and economical life of the people in ancient and medieval Tamil Nadu.

Mayasaya was pointing out that in the Twentieth Century the state’s link with temples had changed profoundly. In pre-British days the state and temples had been mutually supportive. The state supported the temple with land, while the temple supported the state’s legitimacy with various symbolic resources. Protection had real substantive meaning in the context of this exchange. The modern state, however, is separate from, and quite self-consciously does not base its legitimacy on, temples. For the opponents of the HRE Board, this separateness was fundamental. It made the appeal to protection spurious, robbed the HRE Board of its legitimacy, and became a warning of changes to come.

Indeed the temples in and around Madurnataka played a remarkable role in the economic life of the people. They provided employment opportunities to a large section of the population either directly or indirectly. The former refers to the servants employed permanently On a regular basis, the latter were the casual labourers employed to cultivate the temple lands or to look after the livestock donated to the people. Different categories of servants were employed as administrative staff, spiritual functionaries, quasi-religious functionaries and manual and menial labourers. In all these categories, the services of the people of various castes namely brahmins, vellalas, mudalis, kaikkolars. kammalars, kusavans. konars, chettis, vaniyars, barbers and washermen and others were utilised who had a honest and peaceful livelihood. Generally, appointments in Madurantakam temples were hereditary based on specific qualifications and gotras. However, when qualified persons were not found among the descendants, competent persons could be selected from among their relatives. This system introduced a bond of union among the successive generations to serve in the temple. Local people were preferred for certain categories of appointment. A bhatta (priest) should be a native of the village indicate this. Local people (ullurar) were appointed to protect the temple treasury. Even for the cultivation of temple lands and breading of livestock, local people were preferred-By employing local people, the temples exercised an effective control over the local population. But, on certain occasions, people from distant areas were also posted to some categories. Thus, people of different areas got an opportunity to mingle with each other, absorbed their culture and in course integrated themselves. Big and Old temples in Madurantakam possessed vast landed estates, either purchased or endowed While endowing lands or villages, specific care was taken to protect the rights of the previous occupants. Generally, the occupants were not evicted from the gifted land. Instead, they had to pay the customary tax or render service to the temple. If evicted, they were provided with suitable other sites or compensation. Any how as land lord of the locality, the temples could not cultivate all their dry and wet lands directly. For, the temple lands were scattered in different and distant villages and were not found at a single stretch. Therefore, the temples needed a number of tenants to cultivate the devadana lands. For this purpose, the temple lands were leased out either to its servants or private parties on permanent tenure or short tenure on specific conditions. As such, they were to render service or to measure out the stipulated quantities of every class of produce free from dust, chaff and unripe grain. Further, the cultivators had the right of enjoyment only. They had no right to alienate their holdings by mortgage or sale. If a registered tenant failed to pay the fixed share to the temple, he was punished by selling his houses and fields forcibly. Thus, the cultivators developed a binding with the temple. Likewise, the livestock donated to the temple were left under the care of several shepherds who were to measure out the stipulated quantity of milk, ghee or oil to the concerned temple by maintaining the total number of animals at any cost. It provided employment opportunities to the members of the konar community of the locality. Besides, the temples encouraged cottage industries like spinning, weaving, pottery, goldsmithy, carpentary and oil trade.

Trade centres were also sprung up near the vicinity of temples which enabled the devotees to purchase the necessary items needed for pujas and other household articles. All these means integrated the people.

Due to the proper administration of these temples, the rituals and festivals are conducted uninterruptedly. The administration of these temples has made all the facilities for the pilgrims and devotees who visit the temple and mainly preserve the traditional and customary practices of worship.

In pre-British days the state and temples had been mutually supportive. The state supported the temple with land, while the temple supported the state’s legitimacy with various symbolic resources. Protection had real substantive meaning in the context of this exchange. In the Twentieth Century the state’s link with temples had changed very much. The modern state, however, is separate from, and quite self-consciously does not base its legitimacy on, temples. For the opponents of the HRE Board, this separateness was fundamental. It made the appeal to protection spurious, robbed the HRE Board of its s legitimacy, and became a warning of changes to come.

In the broader historical sense, the formation of the HRE Board did settle at least one thing. It ended the long argument, which had begun in the 1830s between Madras officialdom and the proponents of withdrawal in favor of the former. “Protection” replaced “noninterference” as the central ideological underpinning of actual practice. Both the HRE Board and its successor, the HRCE. have been enmeshed in intractable disputes with agencies whose jurisdictions they were intended to supersede the localities, courts and Board of Revenue. These conflicts -over governance, economy and religious life were a continuous process in the Colonial State.

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board functioning from February 1927, was the effort made by the alien British rule to maintain the administration of the temples, religious institutions and endowments intact. The provincial Government of Madras with a President and Commissioners arranged for a regular administration. The Office of the Commissioner with its graded officials carried out the activities of the administrative activities. Rules and regulations were framed. While the President was the administrative head, he was assisted by Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners. Thus the temples in and around Madurantakam are all maintained in tact.

By maintaining a separate Register, every temple is brought under control. The registers comprises of details about the Trustees of the temples and other details pertaining to it. The temple entry legislations provided opportunities of temple worship to all people irrespective of caste, colour and creed. The Trustees maintained the respective temples. Separate Scheme of Administration was followed. A paid Executive Officer from the Temple fund was appointed to execute specific duties. The Provincial Government was the authority to supervise and superintendent the Board which was streamlining the activities of temples. All the activities carried out by the Boards, and the changes and alterations made in the administration were published in the Fort. St.George Gazettee, Madras, periodically without fail.

Out of the appropriated fund of the temples and endowments, the Trustees maintained the financial administration. Procedures were also stipulated for dealing with the finance. Specific rules for appointments, budgets, reports, accounts, returns etc were submitted periodically to the Board. The term of office of the Trustees was fixed. To administer the temples in tact and to streamline the activities, a number of Acts were passed by the State Government. Madras Hindu Religious Endowments (Amendment) Act of 1929 also known as Madras Act V of 1929, the Madras Hindu Religious Endowment (Amendment) Act of 1930 also called Madras Act IV of 1930, The Madras

Hindu Religious Endowments (Amendment) Act of 1931 also called Madras Act XI of 1931 etc. were passed at different junctures reveal the steps taken to promote the temple administration in an effective manner. Many such laws came up in the subsequent periods even before and after the independence of India.

Even during the British administration i.e., before 1925 greater attention was paid to the preservation of the temples. With the commencement of the Board of Revenue in 1789, temple administration was given due recognition and importance. The Board did a lot for the upkeep and maintenances of the temples. The District Collectors too had their role in the administration of the temple. They streamlined the financial administration of the temple. They had the right to enquire about the endowments. The Board of Revenue, the Collectors, the Superintendent, Trustees and Managers were the authorities who had contacts with the temple administration. The Regulation XXXIII of 1802, the Regulation VII OF 1817 etc., too did their best for proper administration. With the changes introduced in the policies during the rule of the East-India Company, new rules were put into effect. Various legislations were passed in between 1842 and 1863.

Between 1860 and 1925, changes were introduced in the administration. The Act of 1863 enabled the temples to have their own administration Committees which suggested modifications in the administration, mainly to keep the worship in the temple in tact. Many Bills were introduced for the redressel of the defects in the temple administrative setup. The Religious and Charitable Trust Act of 1920 offered directives to the Trusts. The Select Committee constituted in 1922 approved the religious mutts as institutions which work for spiritual uplift. The Madras Act I of 1925 and the Madras Act II of 1927 too assisted the proper administration of the temples.

The period between 1925 and 1939 was another significant phase in the temple administration. The Justice Party in power passed many Acts in 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, etc., Many changes were put into effect regarding the Board, Commissioners, and trustees. Local Committees were also constituted for administration of temples with specific powers. Non-Brahmin elements were also included in their temple policies and administration. Importance was assigned to the devadasi inams. The Executive Officers and the Trustees were also directed to act promptly and to send reports regarding their activities to the Board at Madras. From 1927 onwards, Auditors were appointed to prepare proper accounts.

Though the number of officials and servants of the temples varied, their salaries were made uniform. A Joint Select Committee of twenty members was constituted to discuss about the various aspects of administration.This Committee done a tremendous task in the temple administration. The problems of the archakas were also considered from 1931 onwards. Temple Committees were constituted to solve the problems. The alien British rule which followed a policy of non-intervention, was interested in entering, into the portals of religion mainly to introduce changes in the temple administration and to encourage devotees. The temple administration in the pre independent period was one which inculcated progressive ideas regularly. Sincere and earnest administrative measures were promulgated promptly.

After independence, due to transfer of power and political changes, new measures were undertaken. By the Act of 1951, the Commissioner became the administrator and members became Government Officials. Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Area Committees, Inspector and other officers played a predominant role in the temple administration. Madras Act V of 1947 and Madras Act XXXI of 1947 contributed a lot to the temple administration. Training Schools for understanding Saiva and Vaishnava faiths were started. Sthala Puranams were published. By Madras Act XIII of 1949, steps were taken to verify the jewels and valuables of the temples. Importance was given to suggest ways and means for improving temple administration. By the Madras Act XIX of 1951, the government paid the salary from the consolidated fund of the State. Likewise, many other Acts were passed in 1952, 1954 etc. As the officials of the department were made as Government servants, many steps were taken regarding their salary and services. Many changes were introduced in maintaining the temples, idols, mounts and other valuables. Dharma Chatrams were maintained by the temples along with Annadhana Chatrams. Many changes were introduced due to the Reorganisation of States. Board of Trustees Rules were also framed. Training centres for archakas and pracharakas were started from 2^nd October 1966.

The administration of the temples in and Madurantakam through the ages were carried out in an effective manner. As the earlier rulers of Tamil Country were known for their religious sentiments preserved the temples efficiently. During the rule of the East India Company and British Crown, due to their policies of proper and efficient administration, they took all efforts for the maintenance of temples even though they followed the policy of nonintervention. Even during the period of freedom struggle, the temples were functioning promptly in promoting devotionalism and spiritualism. With the dawn of independence, it was realised that the temples are the repositories of culture, art and architecture. In this regard, many steps were taken. Many changes also brought according to the time and need in the temple administration in and Madurantakam. No stone was left unturned in maintaining temples. Modern principles and devices are followed in the administration of temples. The administration of the Vaishnava and Siva temples in the Madurantakam in Kanchipuram District is not deviating from the provisions introduced by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Trustees and the Executive officers are doing their best in the maintenance and upkeep of the temples and their administration. The political changes too did not cause any damaging trends in the temple administration in and around Madurantakam. Above all the administrators of all the temples treat temples as a means for social welfare activities through conducting fairs and festivals and opening up of educational institutions and training institutes. This shows the utilisation of temple funds in promoting the welfare activities of the people in and around Madruntakam.