{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Rajasthan Chief Secretary Orders Digital Darshan Setup and Strict Crackdown on Encroachments Across State Temples",
  "summary": "Chief Secretary V. Srinivas directed the Devasthan Department to implement live darshan facilities, clear illegal encroachments from temple lands, and accelerate vacant priest recruitments across Rajasthan.",
  "content": "The administration in Rajasthan has outlined an extensive plan to overhaul management, enhance visitor amenities, and preserve historical religious properties across the state. Presiding over a high-level review meeting of the Devasthan Department at the government secretariat, Chief Secretary V. Srinivas instructed officials to give topmost priority to pilgrim welfare, focusing particularly on senior citizens and visitors arriving from across the country and abroad. The leadership emphasized that religious sites must be modernised while maintaining their cultural sanctity.\n\nJoint Departmental Action to Clear Temple Land Encroachments\nA primary agenda of the review focused on safeguarding valuable properties owned by state shrines. The Chief Secretary directed administrative teams to immediately clear all illegal encroachments from temple lands across districts. To carry out this enforcement smoothly and without delay, the Revenue Department, Home Department, and Devasthan Department were directed to establish coordination and execute joint operations. Furthermore, district collectors have been instructed to compile verified, exhaustive inventories of all newly identified or previously unlisted temples so their formal preservation can proceed systematically.\n\nModern Live Darshan Facilities and Enhanced Security\nTo assist distant devotees and manage local crowding, instructions were issued to install modern live streaming infrastructure across prominent shrines in Rajasthan. This digital outreach aims to enable devotees to observe daily rituals from home. Alongside technology upgrades, temple administrations must enforce strict hygiene protocols, thorough sanitation routines, and robust security management across temple campuses to guarantee a safe and orderly environment for incoming pilgrims.\n\nTransparent Donation Accounting and Priest Recruitment\nFinancial integrity and staffing regularisation were highlighted as key administrative goals during the proceedings. V. Srinivas warned that zero tolerance would be shown toward any financial discrepancies or administrative mismanagement within the department. Authorities must ensure comprehensive transparency in auditing and recording temple donations. Officials were asked to prioritise the formal registration of religious trusts under the Devasthan Department, initiate steps to fill vacant priest positions without delay, and carry out a structured assessment of the existing priest cadre.\n\nPilgrimage Figures for Senior Citizens and Departmental Assets\nDuring the session, Secretary of the Devasthan Department Shuchi Tyagi presented an update on the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme. For the financial year 2026-27, a total of 22,265 elderly pilgrims have benefited from sponsored journeys. Among these, 21 dedicated special trains carried 20,591 pilgrims to major spiritual destinations across the nation, while 1,674 travellers flew to Nepal to visit the historic Pashupatinath shrine. Updating on asset administration, Devasthan Commissioner Pragya Kewalramani noted that the department manages 936 government direct and indirect charge temples. Currently, 14,447 trusts are officially registered, and the department continues to streamline the online registration mechanism for institutions across the state.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThese administrative measures will significantly improve accessibility, hygiene, and security for pilgrims visiting shrines across Rajasthan.\n\n• Across India: Devotees across the country can now access regular digital live streams of daily rituals from famous Rajasthani temples. Those planning visits will experience cleaner campuses, systematic queue management, and upgraded safety arrangements.\n• In Rajasthan: Removing unlawful encroachments will protect valuable public and cultural land holdings across various districts. State residents eligible for the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme will continue receiving organized transport and accommodation without disruption.\n• For Priests and Trusts: Filling long-standing vacancies will offer formal administrative roles and livelihoods to eligible local priests. The accelerated online trust portal simplifies regulatory paperwork while preventing administrative discrepancies in donation accounting.\n• For Senior Citizens: Enhanced logistical management ensures travel by special train or flight to external destinations like Nepal remains safe and comfortable. Heightened accountability guarantees that welfare quotas and resources reach intended beneficiaries directly.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe review initiative was triggered by escalating administrative challenges regarding temple land protection, pilgrim crowd handling, and financial oversight.\n\n• Encroachment on Religious Land: Mounting reports of unauthorized occupation on valuable temple properties compelled authorities to launch a coordinated multi-departmental drive. Inter-agency backing from revenue and police authorities was needed to clear disputes and protect acreage.\n• Surging Footfall and Digital Demand: Increasing footfall from domestic and international travellers necessitated immediate upgrades to hygiene, crowd management, and digital accessibility. Offering verified live streams caters to elderly and remote devotees unable to travel in person.\n• Staffing Gaps and Financial Scrutiny: Vacant sacerdotal posts and gaps in accounting for public donations risked institutional inefficiency. Standardising digital trust registrations and reviewing priest cadres ensures structural accountability across all state-monitored shrines.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What directives were issued by the Chief Secretary regarding major temples?\nThe Chief Secretary directed authorities to introduce modern live darshan facilities while upgrading sanitation and safety measures at major temples.\n\n2. Which departments will jointly clear temple land encroachments in Rajasthan?\nThe Revenue Department, Home Department, and Devasthan Department have been directed to coordinate and take joint action.\n\n3. How many pilgrims benefited from the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme in 2026-27?\nA total of 22,265 elderly pilgrims have undertaken journeys under the scheme during the financial year 2026-27.\n\n4. How many senior citizens visited Pashupatinath temple in Nepal by air?\nA total of 1,674 pilgrims travelled via air routes to pay homage at the Pashupatinath temple in Nepal.\n\n5. How many temples are presently managed by Rajasthan's Devasthan Department?\nThe Devasthan Department currently administers 936 direct and indirect charge government temples.\n\n6. How many religious trusts are officially registered with the department?\nThere are currently 14,447 registered trusts under the Devasthan Department.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/rajasthan-men-tirthayatriyon-ko-milengi-haiteka-suvidhaen-mukhya-sachiva-ne-die-nalaina-darshana-aura-atikramana-hatane-ke-kare-ad-53726",
  "category": "Rajasthan",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-31",
  "tags": [
    "Rajasthan Devasthan Department",
    "Chief Secretary V Srinivas",
    "Temple Live Darshan",
    "Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme",
    "Temple Encroachment Rajasthan",
    "Pashupatinath Pilgrimage",
    "Rajasthan Priest Recruitment"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia",
  "whatItMeansForYou": "These administrative measures will significantly improve accessibility, hygiene, and security for pilgrims visiting shrines across Rajasthan.\n\n• Across India: Devotees across the country can now access regular digital live streams of daily rituals from famous Rajasthani temples. Those planning visits will experience cleaner campuses, systematic queue management, and upgraded safety arrangements.\n• In Rajasthan: Removing unlawful encroachments will protect valuable public and cultural land holdings across various districts. State residents eligible for the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme will continue receiving organized transport and accommodation without disruption.\n• For Priests and Trusts: Filling long-standing vacancies will offer formal administrative roles and livelihoods to eligible local priests. The accelerated online trust portal simplifies regulatory paperwork while preventing administrative discrepancies in donation accounting.\n• For Senior Citizens: Enhanced logistical management ensures travel by special train or flight to external destinations like Nepal remains safe and comfortable. Heightened accountability guarantees that welfare quotas and resources reach intended beneficiaries directly.",
  "whyItHappened": "The review initiative was triggered by escalating administrative challenges regarding temple land protection, pilgrim crowd handling, and financial oversight.\n\n• Encroachment on Religious Land: Mounting reports of unauthorized occupation on valuable temple properties compelled authorities to launch a coordinated multi-departmental drive. Inter-agency backing from revenue and police authorities was needed to clear disputes and protect acreage.\n• Surging Footfall and Digital Demand: Increasing footfall from domestic and international travellers necessitated immediate upgrades to hygiene, crowd management, and digital accessibility. Offering verified live streams caters to elderly and remote devotees unable to travel in person.\n• Staffing Gaps and Financial Scrutiny: Vacant sacerdotal posts and gaps in accounting for public donations risked institutional inefficiency. Standardising digital trust registrations and reviewing priest cadres ensures structural accountability across all state-monitored shrines.",
  "questionsAndAnswers": [
    {
      "question": "What directives were issued by the Chief Secretary regarding major temples?",
      "answer": "The Chief Secretary directed authorities to introduce modern live darshan facilities while upgrading sanitation and safety measures at major temples."
    },
    {
      "question": "Which departments will jointly clear temple land encroachments in Rajasthan?",
      "answer": "The Revenue Department, Home Department, and Devasthan Department have been directed to coordinate and take joint action."
    },
    {
      "question": "How many pilgrims benefited from the Senior Citizen Pilgrimage Scheme in 2026-27?",
      "answer": "A total of 22,265 elderly pilgrims have undertaken journeys under the scheme during the financial year 2026-27."
    },
    {
      "question": "How many senior citizens visited Pashupatinath temple in Nepal by air?",
      "answer": "A total of 1,674 pilgrims travelled via air routes to pay homage at the Pashupatinath temple in Nepal."
    },
    {
      "question": "How many temples are presently managed by Rajasthan's Devasthan Department?",
      "answer": "The Devasthan Department currently administers 936 direct and indirect charge government temples."
    },
    {
      "question": "How many religious trusts are officially registered with the department?",
      "answer": "There are currently 14,447 registered trusts under the Devasthan Department."
    }
  ]
}