Mangaluru: Temple management committees from across Dakshina Kannada have demanded legal action against those spreading misinformation about temple donation funds being diverted for non-Hindu purposes or transferred to the state treasury. These appeals were made at a consultation meeting held on Friday at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall, organized by the Department of Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments.

District in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who was present at the event, addressed growing concerns over false narratives aired on national media. “There is a deliberate attempt to mislead devotees by suggesting temple hundi funds are misused. Committees must counter this misinformation with facts and take up the responsibility of informing the public,” he said.

The minister emphasized that temples must not be politicized, and committees should function transparently. He noted recent hikes in tastik (honorarium) for certified priests—from ₹24,000 earlier to ₹72,000 per year now. He recalled that this scheme was introduced by his father, former CM Gundu Rao, and has seen consistent growth.

MLC Manjunath Bhandary suggested that temple premises remain reserved for spiritual and cultural purposes, not political events. He recommended issuing ID cards to B and C-grade committee members and displaying boards at temples clearly stating donation funds are not diverted.

MLC Ivan D’Souza warned against politicizing religion and urged committees to be proactive in debunking baseless allegations. Resource person Lakshmish Gabladka highlighted the need to preserve coastal Karnataka’s rich spiritual traditions, restrict political interference, and recognize temple priests and daivastana poojaris as true religious leaders.

He also called for better support to Scheduled Caste places of worship and discouraged Vedic priest involvement in traditional spirit worship.

Durga Parameshwari Temple’s Raghava H supported temple upgradation and proposed encouraging Yakshagana and devotional music in temple events.

Several other committee members made key suggestions:

  • Dilraj Alva (Kadri Temple): Called for a fast-track system under the DC/ADC for temple land dispute resolution and permissions for cultural events in A-grade temples.

  • Venkappa Gowda (Mahavishnu Temple, Sullia): Urged government support for C-grade temples and issuing IDs to their committee members.

  • Balakrishna Gowda (Subrahmanya Temple, Thotattadi): Pointed out that only 427 out of 493 temple priests receive tastik grants, urging coverage for the remaining.

    • Dignitaries present included former minister Ramanath Rai, Mamatha Gatti (Cashew Development Board chairperson), MUDA chairman Sadashiva Ullal, former MLC Harish Kumar, Kannada and Tulu Academy president Sadananda Mavanje, DC Darshan H V, and ZP CEO Vinayak Karbari Narvade.

    The event began with a welcome by assistant commissioner Jayamma, and an introduction by Shwetha Pally, administrative officer of Bappanadu Temple.