How Salaries Were Paid to Temple Staff in Early Medieval Bharat

temple staff

In early medieval Bharat, salaries were paid in kind at the rate of per day and 360 days in a calendar year. An inscription of Karnataka gives the details of salaries paid to the temple staff. Interestingly, the salaries were paid as per the needs of the employee and not as per the status. Communist historians have never told this reality that Indian society practiced equality in payment of salaries. A pujari and a mason used to get equal salary. This is Sanatana Dharma.

Casteism is evil not Sanatana Dharma. Eradicate evil not Dharma. Let’s eradicate DMK = Dengue, Malaria, Kidney (Brain) failure. 

Salary details for temple staff given in the Inscription:

1. Karnatak-pandita who conducts the mâdâpattiyam of the temple : 180 kalam of paddy for 360 days at the rate of 1 tûni and 1 padakku a day.


2. Brâhman Mârasinga-batta of the Gautama-gôtra who conducts the sacred worship : 60 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 padakku a day, together with 2 kâsu.


3. Four Brahmachârins : 75 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 5 nâli each a day, together with
2 kâsu each.


4. The man who supplies water for the sacred bath of the goddess: 15 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 4 nâli a day.


5. The two men who gather flowers and hold the sacred parasol: 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 4 nâli each a day.

 

6. The three watchmen of the temple : 90 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni each a day, together with 3 kâsu, at 1 kâsu each.

 

7. The two men who work in the sacred flower-garden: 60 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni each a day.


8. The four Yôginis: 60 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 4 nâli each a day.

 

9. The four Yôgêsvaras: 90 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 6 nâli each a day.

 

10. Bhayiravamudali Virâjêndra-kKaliyuga-Bhayirava: 60 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 padakku a day.

 

11. The three Bhayiravas: 90 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni each a day.

 

12. The drummer: 45 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni and 1 nâli a day.

 

13. The dancing-master: 37 kalam 1 tûni and 1 padakku of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni and 2 nâli a day together with 1 kâsu.

 

14. The accountant: 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at …. a day, together with 1 kâsu.

 

15. The twenty-four dancing-girls: 540 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 6 nâli each a day.

 

16. The potter who supplies pots to the temple-kitchen: 15 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 4 nâli a day.

 

17. The washerman who washes the vestments of the goddess: 15 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 4 nâli a day.

 

18. The astrologer: 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni a day, together with 1 kâsu.

 

19. The lecturer on vyâkarana and yâmala : 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni a day, together with 1 kâsu the equivalent of which in paddy is 2 kalam 2 tûni and 1 kuruni.

 

20. The Pûjâri: 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni a day.

 

21. The mason who repairs the temple: 30 kalam of paddy for 360 days at 1 kuruni a day.

 

Featured image courtesy representing salaries of temple staff: Vedveer Arya.

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Vedveer Arya

Vedveer Arya is a civil servant and an officer of 1997 batch of Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS). A postgraduate in Sanskrit from University of Delhi, he is author of 'The Chronology of India'.
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