Dr Dilip Kumar
In Indian culture, the practice of worship, rituals has always been at the top level. The tradition of worship has been going on since ages. In which the construction of places of worship and temples was a matter of respect for the king-maharajas. In Indian Hindu culture, four things have always been given importance, Gau, Ganga, Gita and Gayatri, whose worship has been going on since ancient times. And to spread their worship further, people started building temples, but the architecture and arts used in all these have been constructed keeping in mind the future. So that society can benefit from it in the coming time.
Special places were selected for the construction of temples, and festivals related to it were also organized from time to time. According to the plan, festivals, get-togethers and fairs etc. were also organized. If we look at the economic aspect of these events, we will find that trade and agriculture were the main means of income of the people since ancient times. Through which a person used to earn his livelihood. He used to buy and sell his goods through barter or money.
In this way, the money which he received as profit, he used to spend it for his own needs and for the state tax so that society could progress. Thus we see that the concept of the temple was very strong in our society, which provided a solid basis for the relationship between the king and the subjects. A certain part of the taxes received by the king from the public was used in religious works so that economic and social strength could come in the society and an atmosphere of prosperity could develop in the society. In such a situation, it seems necessary to see in what ways the temples affect the economy from ancient times to modern times.
In ancient times, the main sources of income were livestock, farming and trade. But earlier there were no very strong means of transport due to which it was difficult for them to trade and carry their goods far and wide. This is the reason that people’s contact with people from far-flung areas was reduced.
People were confined to their fixed confines, and earned a living within their limited confines. People used to have a limited level of money flow and which was not good for the growth of the economy? For this reason, ancient temples have been a strong medium of economic distribution. Because religious rituals, rituals affect people more. For the correct distribution of these emotions and meanings, festivals and fairs celebrated in temples were given grandeur which was indicative of economic progress.
The result was that the traders who used to wander in far-flung villages with their goods and those who needed goods which they could not get easily, in such a situation, organizing fairs through temples proved to be a suitable medium for both the buyer and the seller. Because through this medium, people got the way for more currency exchange along with buying and selling their goods in a given time.
On the other hand, on the pretext of organizing festivals and fairs, the rulers, traders and common people of other provinces used to come to other provinces and places for the purpose of doing business and meeting. This strengthened friendship and religious and economic development. These in turn helped to promote political and economic development? Because at that time the mutual animosity of the states also decreased. The benefit of the money obtained from these events and the purchase and sale of these events directly went to the economy and social people. It can be said that seeing all these facts, the construction of temples and its courtyards came into vogue in large numbers. At the same time, when people had an excess of meaning, the tendency of accumulation and religious work was born in them. And temples became the main centers of ancient Indian economy. (Before the alien invasion)By medieval times, the developing trees (temples) of ancient times had attained their peak state. The temples were at a high stage in social, political and economic terms. The temples started doing banking and currency conservation work in a way. The grand construction and craftsmanship of the temples were showing its economic progress. Which also expresses the possibility of employment and investment in a way. The kings-maharajas and merchant classes of that time used to invest a certain part of their income in religious works. As a result, a large group of society was sustained. Which reduced the social and economic gap. Temples were also doing the work of providing employment to people in a way. In this way, the grandeur and brightness of the temples increased so much that the traders coming from outside were so dazzled by its grandeur, artcraft and economic prosperity, they used to describe its glory in their own words by going to their country. Due to being full of economic prosperity, foreign invaders were the main centers.
It is well known that the temple of Somnath is a direct proof of this. The invaders attacked and looted it many times, but after each attack, the temple got even more prosperity. This incident mainly shows two things, first that the faith of the social people was strong in the temples and secondly the temple became meaningful again even after so many attacks. Therefore, we can say that temples also used to do currency banking and communication for the people.Which shows the interrelationship of society, meaning and temple. But in later periods, when the dominance of foreign rule increased, it damaged the customs of the temples and its strong economic system, due to which the imbalance in place of traditional economic balance started to occur and the difference between the classes started increasing. From the economic point of view (before the British), the condition of temples in the early period of modern times was not very special.After the power came in the hands of the British, the economic system based on the temple, which was getting dilapidated in the medieval period, had attained a limited stage at this time. The temples which promoted social and economic advancement through the banking system have become centers of reverence in the present time. Due to which the pace of development slowed down. But in later days, social reformers, founders and Shankaracharyas started the work of religious awakening and temple renovation.
As a result, the temples started getting a existence of their own. Many temples were built under their presence, which was going to strengthen the economy financially directly and indirectly. Which also became a means of income for the working classes of the society.It is a matter of consideration that at present temples are a major source of investment and income.
Therefore, we see that the economic strength which was achieved by the temples in ancient times was achieved by the medieval period. And in modern times, its participation (economic) is not being done directly.
In this way, we can say that one of the reasons for the problems prevailing in the economy can also be the neglect of the ancient systems built by temples directly related to the society. Therefore, it is clear that the economic impact that temples have on Indian society is directly related to all sections of society. The process in which each section of the society is simultaneously benefitted. And it is also a basis for the economy of any country to run equally.
(The author is Associate Professor and Course Coordinator English Journalism, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Northern Regional Campus, Jammu)
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