Question

The land under the control of temples is known as_______________
A] Cherikkal
B] Brahmaswam
C] Devaswom
D] None of these

Answer 1

Hint: In India, most of the temples are situated in the land owned by any individuals or any god serving organizations. Other temples are situated on a piece of property that is known as the ‘land of god’. In some cases, there will be multiple properties under one temple. These lands will be kept under a specific board of members serving under the state government and will have an officer who will be elected in every term.

Complete Answer:
in states like Kerala, temples have become one of the major destinations for people due to the strong foundation of religious aspects. The rituals and modes of prayers are subtle in these temples but they hold a large value to society. In order to moderate the functions and manage the temples, the state government has created a board of individuals working under the government to take care of this task, Known as the Devaswom Board. The name Devaswom comes from the term used to describe the property of the temple which is also known as the land of god. The board also helps in the systematic functioning of all these temples and helps them in anyways required.
There are five dewaswams in Kerala. These are Guruvayur, Travancore, Malabar, Cochin, and Koodalmanikyam depending on the place of the headquarters. They earn about a hundred crore annually. The Boards are usually composed of a President and a specific number of members. The President and one Member will be nominated by the Hindu members of the Kerala Council of Ministers and the other Member from the Hindu Members of State legislature. The term of the President and Members is for a period of three years.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: Each Dewaswam board also has multiple educational institutions under them. In Kerala, a total of eight colleges and several schools are working under the Devaswom Boards. Travancore Dewaswam board is the biggest board consisting majority of temples in Kerala working under it. It is one of the wealthiest temple administrations in India as the temple known as Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple has the largest treasure kept inside it.