The Ministry of Culture addressed Unstarred Question No. 1343 on December 8, 2025, regarding salaries and allowances for priests and maulvis. Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai inquired whether temple priests receive government-provided salary, allowance, and other facilities. The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, responded that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an office attached to the Ministry of Culture, is responsible for the conservation, preservation, and maintenance of Centrally Protected Monuments (CPMs), including temples. However, neither ASI nor any other part of the government provides salaries or allowances to priests of any temple, maulavi of any masjid, or priest of any church.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The ministry answering the parliamentary question about salaries and allowances to priests and maulvis.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI): An attached office of the Ministry of Culture mandated with the conservation, preservation, and maintenance of centrally protected monuments including some temples, but not providing salaries or allowances to priests in those temples.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1343
ANSWERED ON-08/12/2025
SALARY AND ALLOWANCE TO PRIESTS AND MAULVIS
1343. Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the temple priests in the country are provided with salary and allowance and
other facilities by the Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof, and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) whether there is any such salary etc. are paid by Central and/or State Governments to the
Priest of any temple/Maulavi of any Masjid or Priest of any Church, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) & (b) Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an attached office of Ministry of Culture, is
mandated with conservation, preservation and maintenance of the Centrally Protected
Monuments (CPMs), which includes temples as well. However, no salary or allowances are
paid by ASI to the priests in such temples.
(c) No such salary etc. is provided by the Archaeological Survey of India to priests of any
temple/ Maulavi of any Masjid, or Priest of any Church.
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