Temple's Financials - Proposed Meeting on 15th Aug 2016

Dear Devotees,

This blogpost is to brief all of you with respect to the recent happenings at our FAMILY DEITY Sastha Temple in Suraikayur and to also explain the current financials of the Temple.

Sri Kalyanasundaram, aged about 70 years, who was working as Gurukkal in our Temple, had to be replaced  due to adverse reports from both our devotees and the villagers.

After meeting and interviewing several Gurukals, Sri Hariharan, a priest who was associated with the Ayyappan Temple in Santhome, Chennai, and also recommended by our former Gurukal Sri Balachandran, was found suitable and appointed as the Gurukal from the 13th June 2016 onwards.

With rising costs and our temple being in a remote village, no priest was willing to accept our old terms and conditions and therefore the salaries had to be revised.

We give below the approximate expenditure per MONTH for running the temple:

- Gurukkal                              Rs  20,000/-

- Watchman, Housekeeping          3,500/-

- Cost of rice and other pooja

   Articles for day to day use         3,000/-

- Electricity bill                              2,000/-

- Recurring maintenance               1,500/-

TOTAL PER MONTH                    30,000/-    

Besides the above, we have an annual expenditure of approximately Rs 75,000/- towards bonus to Gurukkal and other staff, and towards the, Maha Abhishekham on 4th September every year that is being regularly held over the last 8 years.

The interest from corpus fund is utilized to meet the monthly temple expenses to a certain extent.

It is also imperative that we have to start mobilizing funds for the future well-being of the Temple and we therefore request you to please contribute towards the same.  One should also not forget the fact that 2020 is not very far away as that is the year the next Kumbabhisekham will have to be performed.

With only the under signed making regular visits and monitoring the activities of the temple, it is high time more volunteers take active part so that others also understand the practical difficulties to maintain and run the temple.  We therefore request a few of you to volunteer.

We are in the process of developing a mobile enabled website for all our devotees for faster and timely communication.  The expenses for the same is being sponsored by a devotee.

To firm up all the above and to have a face-to-face discussion with all, its proposed that we have a breakfast meet on Monday, 15.08.2016 at 8.30 am at VIVEKANANDA HALL, P.S. HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL PREMISES, No.215, Ramakrishna Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600004 (opposite to Ramakrishna Mutt).

Given below is the broad agenda for discussions:

1. Income and Expenses relating to previous years

2. Action plan for future funds requirements

3. Volunteers for Temple

4. Setting up a mobile enabled Website

5. Mahabishekam on 4.9.2016

6. Any other subject that may warrant attention

Kindly confirm your attendance to Sri S. Haritheerthan  (M. No. 9841042466).

For those of you who are unable to attend the meeting, may we appeal to you to come forward and contribute monthly / annually to meet out the temple maintenance expenses.

So far, we have somehow managed but unless the corpus is built, it will be extremely difficult to run and maintain the temple in the future.

Contributions may please be sent to:

Name of the Bank  : State Bank of India

Name of the a/c    : Suraikayur Sri Mahasastha Kumbabhishekam Committee

Account No.           : 30331030537

Branch                    : Kilpauk

Looking forward to meeting you on 15.08.2016

With regards
A. Venkat / S. Haritheerthan / K.C. Radhakrishnan