Abstract
Temples in Kerala have historically played a vital role in shaping power dynamics, influencing both religious and political spheres. The interactions with power within temples are intricately connected to the region's social, cultural, and political structures. The Brahminical temples reflect a unique blend of religious legitimacy, social hierarchy, and administrative autonomy. The temple and the state were related in the early medieval period and both derived support from each other. While the state patronised the temple, the latter lent considerable legitimacy to the former. The temple gradually started appropriating the role of the state in numerous ways, assuming administrative, judicial and fiscal functions.The Koodalmanikyom temple is a notable example of how ritual authority was converted in to actual political and economic power within this frame work.The Sanketham of temple-controlled land,resources and customary rights in addition to regulating worship and upholding the sanctity of rituals.
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References
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