Right of Temple Entry

Most of the earlier chapters appeared in serial form in 1929 in “Revolt” the weekly English journal published by Comrade E.V. Ramaswamy of Erode. Before the whole series could be published, the journal ceased to exist early in 1930. Much water has flowed beneath the bridge since that time and when some friends asked the writer to republish those articles in book form, he was a little diffident about it. So much learning and research had gathered round the subject during the interval as to have necessitated a recasting of the whole matter in order to have some semblance of scholarship about it. On the other hand, there was never any pretence or profession of learning when these articles came to be published; it was intended, as was stated in the opening article, mainly for laymen. The writer has adhered to the original idea and therefore this is merely a reprint with slight alterations, amendments and additions, wherever they were deemed absolutely necessary. The writer thanks Comrade E.V. Ramaswamy for permission to reprint and for encouragement given to the writer to do it. The writer acknowledges his indebtedness to several scholars and histories who have dealt with this and other PREFACE xii Preface cognate matters at great length, notably to Messrs. K. Subramonia Pillay, M.A., M.L., P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar M.A., L.T., S. Srinivasa Iyengar B.A., Paul Appaswamy M.A., Bar-at-Law., J.C. Gosh M.A., B.L., P.R. Ganapathy Iyer,B.A., B.L., V. Nagamiah B.A., and ever so many others. The writer was not able to get at a copy of the Despatch of 1841 of the Board of Directors in England to the East India Company and the connected proceedings by which the British Government came to give up its control over Hindu temples. But a very good idea of what led to such divestment can be had from the extract taken from “A History of Missions in India” by Julius Richter D.D., (Indische Missione-geschichte) and quoted as Appendix A, at the end of this volume. It merely confirms the present writer’s inferences dealt at length in the body of this book. My thanks are due to all my friends who have assisted me in various ways to bring out this book, especially to Mr. M.D. Daniel B.A., the Proprietor of the Alexandra Press, Nagercoil, for correcting the proofs, which proved something of a nuisance to the writer with his inexperience in these matters and with his moffusil professional practice. The temples situated on the West Coast have to be viewed from a slightly different angle even though some general observations contained in this book might be applicable to them also. The writer hopes to cure some defects and many errors which are found in the book in a future edition.