INVESTIGATING THE SPATIAL IMPACT OF ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT AND POLICY ON THE PILGRIMAGE TOWN OF PANDHARPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India
2022
The cultural and social fabric of our nation is greatly influenced by places of worship and religious institutions, as an integral part of our society for generations. The fact that India has more than 30,000 places of worship is evidence of this. While the exact number of Hindu places of worship among them is unknown, it is safe to conclude that they make up a sizable portion of them. Temples develop into pilgrim centres, which draw trade and business. Some of them eventually transform into political centres of power in addition to being hubs of economic prosperity. Since the British era, temples in India have been managed by the government, a position that was further strengthened after independence by a number of legal frameworks and acts at state-level. Pandharpur is one such place having importance of pilgrimage, where the town has developed around the temple and were even growth drivers of the region. The research looks at the present temple administration structure, manifestation and performance of the Pandharpur Temples Act of 1973 and the Pandharpur Development Authority Act of 2009. The research mainly approaches from the management perspective of what is the most desirable and feasible administration and spatial changes that can be best for Pandharpur, and mapping historical evidence of policy impacts on accommodating the Wari sampradaaya.
The research intends to offer historical context for the relationship between the state and temple of Vitthal in Pandharpur by examining the practice of governmental control over the temple and how it has changed over the years. The institutional and legal structure for state control and temple operations and the institutional structure and activities of the Pandharpur Temples Act of 1973 and the Pandharpur Development Authority Act of 2009 are further discussed in order to pinpoint and raise important issues. The consequences and effects of the ensuing political control and bureaucratization of temple administration are highlighted.
ASSESSMENT OF THE STUDY AREA
The following take from the historical context helps us to understand the impact of various administration, management and policy on the spatial growth of Pandharpur.
-The administration of temple in ancient and medieval period was governed by the religious heads. The king, as the sovereign head of the state, discharged his duty as a protector of temple. The king/state intervened only as an arbiter in disputes.
-However, in independent India, the state manages and governs temples in contravention of the secular credentials stated in the constitution. In accordance with the constitution, “any economic, financial, political or other secular activity associated with religious practice” may be regulated and restricted.
-This has lead to mismanagement of control of administration, lack of understanding of needs of locals and impact on the traditional practices.
