Management of Temples at Nāḍol during the Caūhān Period
By Ram Vallabh Somani
Summary
K.V. Somani’s study reconstructs the administration of temples at Nāḍol, a town in southern Rajasthan, during the Caūhān (Cauhan) era. Using inscriptions, he describes how Mahārāja Lakṣmaṇa built the Lakṣmaṇa Svāmī temple and established a management committee with specific dutiesfile:///home/oai/share/520769%20(19)%201-182.pdf. Festival regulations stipulated that courtesans and musicians participate in the annual *Ratha‑yātrā* and other rituals; fines were imposed on those who neglected their roles. Royal women played an active part: Queen Kalavatī donated gold and land for the temple’s maintenance, while other queens endowed fodder for the temple cows and lamp‑oilfile:///home/oai/share/520769%20(19)%201-182.pdf#:~:text=Maharam%20SankaradevI%2C%20the%20queen%20of,11. Somani argues that the temple functioned as a socio‑economic hub: revenue from assigned villages funded daily worship, education and charity. The article concludes that temple management under the Caūhāns combined royal patronage with community obligations, reflecting a well‑organised religious polity.
Conclusion
The study highlights how medieval Indian temples were not only religious shrines but also administrative centres that regulated labour, collected taxes and redistributed resources. By examining one locality in detail, Somani shows that royal women and commoners alike had defined responsibilities. The conclusion suggests that similar case studies could shed light on regional variations in temple governance across India.