The Temple acted as a Seller and Purchaser of Village lands

The temple was a great buyer of land. Thus the temple generally purchased land when it needed them for construction or other necessary work and when it did to not get them in gifts. Many a time the temple used to purchase lands from people to enable them to pay their debts or fines or rental dues.

Though the instances of sale are few, they clearly indicate that the temple lands were not held in sanctity and could be sold if necessary. As the village assemblies and state officials had a hand in the management of the temple affairs, they were generally consulted by the temple officials in effecting sale transactions. Thus the temple also sold its lands. In one case it sold a portion of its land to clear off the state dues.^[1] Besides the temple also accepted lands in mortgage as a security for the loans given to the village assemblies or individuals. The lands of those who could not pay the fines to the state or who died before its payment were also purchased by the temple. It seems that the temple was a ready buyer, and in emergency people always looked up to it for the purchase of their lands by the temple.^[2] This naturally enabled the temple to dictate its own terms.

Though the servants were under full operational control of the temple managements, the temples did not have to bother about their remuneration. Donations enabled the temples to secure the best possible services free of cost. Two categories of services were offered to the temples. They utilized the services of those who were fully attached to them. They also employed those who were exempted from central and local taxes on condition that they would render certain services to the temples.