This book serves as a continuation of Sandeep Singh’s previous work, Temple Economics Volume I. While the first volume outlined the alarming rate at which Bharat is losing its temples, the second volume shifts the focus towards actionable strategies to reclaim and restore these sacred sites. In the current secular era, Singh offers pragmatic and expedient solutions, aiming to address the deep-rooted biases that hinder the preservation of Hindu temples.

To provide durable, pragmatic, and expedient solutions, Singh begins by addressing the pervasive ‘anti-mandir bias’ within the socio-political ecosystem. He revisits the critical issue of how Bharat is continuing to lose its temples despite being ‘free’—a notion that he questions deeply.

Singh opens with the example of the Kalighat Mandir, illustrating its suffering under imperial and colonial forces. He argues that involving the judiciary in internal temple affairs has proven to be a significant blunder for the future of Bharat’s mandirs. Logical Hindus, or ‘tarksheel’ Hindus, will likely agree with Singh’s assertion that the judicial meddling in temple matters undermines their sanctity and autonomy.

The author points out a common misconception regarding temple authority, noting that, “The practice of modernizing mandirs through reducing the authority in them and thereby, wealth of Brahmins has been ongoing since the late eighteenth century. The default assumption in Bharat today is that unless a mandir is inside a person’s home or there is evidence that it was founded as a private endowment, the public—either through state bodies or as individual citizens—have the right and even the responsibility to determine what goes on at Hindu mandirs.”

This quote encapsulates the broader issue of state control over Hindu temples, which Singh argues should be a cause for concern among Hindus. Despite existing dissatisfaction, it has not yet reached a level that could incite widespread awareness or meaningful reform. Singh critically examines the bias and colonial mindset prevalent in the Indian judiciary. He states, “Once the pujaris went to the court, the judges and the Sarkari Hindus became the new pujaris. They started dictating the functioning of mandirs; not only of those mandirs which went to them with their dispute but all the mandirs. Their interest was more in the money in the mandir than on pending cases in the courts.”

Recognizing the colonial mentality that values validation from Western perspectives, Singh cleverly includes a foreign viewpoint in the next section. By presenting the perspective of Deonnie Moodie, a non-Hindu, Singh aims to provide a broader understanding of the issue. This approach not only appeals to laymen but also proves useful for social science students, who often encounter foreigners appreciating Bharat more profoundly than some Hindus.

In the subsequent section, Singh dismantles misconceptions born from colonial masters or the lack of proper study among Hindus. For example, he addresses the misinterpretation of ‘India’ as a name for Bharat and the commonly misunderstood shlok, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, frequently cited at Hindu seminars. Singh explains that we have accepted a distorted version of this shlok, which has been used to promote a misguided sense of universalism at the expense of our own cultural identity.

The author delves into the ramifications of these detrimental constructs on Hindu society, emphasizing that the failure to read and understand their own scriptures is a major fault line in contemporary Hindu society. Singh points out that while there is considerable awareness about internal enemies, the inability to properly identify these enemies and their tactics can be detrimental. In Part III, he categorizes various adversaries, including political Hindus, governmental Hindus, intentional enemies, and unintentional enemies, illustrating his points with recent case studies.

In today’s ideological warfare, Hindus need to adopt a proactive stance rather than a defensive one on several issues. Singh outlines several methods for achieving this in Part IV. First and foremost, Hindus should demand the reclamation of temples, the restoration of murtis, and the organization of legal support for these causes. He stresses the importance of reclaiming the rights of deities and respecting the role of pujaris, who have traditionally been the custodians of temple rituals and traditions.

Singh offers numerous solutions for restoring temples to their former glory. These include reclaiming deity rights, respecting pujaris, reviving utsav fairs, cleaning temples, reclaiming literature, reestablishing temples as centers of socio-economic activities, and building new temples. He argues that these steps are essential for reinvigorating the cultural and spiritual life of Bharat and for ensuring that temples once again become vibrant hubs of community activity.

The insights provided by Sandeep Singh in this volume of Temple Economics are not just a wake-up call but a comprehensive roadmap for action for all Hindus. With the author currently working on the third volume, readers who have engaged with the eye-opening content of the first two volumes will undoubtedly look forward to the next installment.