ABSTRACT
The institutionalized system that developed and preserved the religious culture of Hindu institutions for centuries also broke down with changes in the political climate of the region. The history of the SD temple institution in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries demonstrated that the monasteries, despite having been granted the authority and responsibility to manage its operations, failed to do this efficiently. Instead, these institutions fought among themselves over the custodianship of the SD. Thus, the custodial legitimacy of ancient Hindu temple institutions became a major issue, and these conditions led to their handover to the state endowments department.
