In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "Charitable Endowments" means all property given or endowed for the benefit of, or used as of right by the community or any section thereof for the support or maintenance of objects of utility to the said community or section, such as sarais, rest houses, pathshalas, schools and colleges, houses for feeding the poor and institution for advancement of education, medical relief fund and Public health or other objects of like nature and includes the institution concerned;
(b)" Commissioner" means the Commissioner appointed under section 3 and includes every officer, who for the time being exercises the powers and performs the functions of a Commissioner under this Act or the rules made thereunder;
(c) "Financial Commissioner" shall mean the Financial Commissioner appointed by the Government to exercise the powers under this Act;
(d) "Government" means the Government of Himachal Pradesh;
(e) "hereditary trustee" means the trustee of a religious institution succession to whose office devolves by hereditary right or by nomination by the trustee for the time being in office or is regulated by custom or is specifically provided for by the founder, so long as such scheme of succession is in force;
2[(f) “Hindu public religious institutions” means a math, temple, smadh, smadhi, dera and endowment attached thereto or a specified endowment, established with a religious object for a public purpose and includes,-
1. All sections of the Act came into force with effect from 16th November, 1984 (except section 1 which has already come into force) in respect of the Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments specified in Schedule-I of the Act, vide Notification No. 16-15/75. GAD. Vol. IV, dated 16th November, 1984 published in the Rajpatra, Himachal Pradesh (Extra-ordinary), dated 17th November, 1984, p.1884.
2. Clause (f) substituted vide Act No. 14 of 2007.
THE HIMACHAL PRADESH HINDU PUBLIC RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS ACT, 1984 5
(i) all property movable or immovable belonging to or given or endowed for worship in, maintenance or improvement of, addition to, a math, temple, smadh, smadhi or dera for the performance of any service of charity connected therewith.
(ii) the idols installed in the math, temple, smadh, smadhi or dera, cloths, ornaments and things, for decoration etc,
(iii) religious institution under the direct control of the State Government, but does not include such private religious math, temple, smadh, smadhi or dera, in which the public are not interested:
Provided that any offering whether in kind or in cash made by any pilgrim or by any other person in any Hindu Public religious institution shall be deemed to be such property of such religious institution;]
(g) "math" means a math as understood under Hindu law;
(h) "non hereditary trustee" means a trustee who is not a hereditary trustee;
(i) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Government under this Act;
1[(j) “pujari” includes a panda or a person appointed by the Commissioner for performing puja or other rituals, other than hereditary trustees holding office as trustee;]
(k) "schedule" means the schedule appended to this Act;
(l) "temple" means a place, by whatever designation known, used as a place of public religious worship, and dedicated to, or for the benefit of, or used as of right by, the Hindu community or any section thereof as a place of public religious worship; and
(m) "trustee" means any person or body of persons, by whatever designation known, in whom or in which the administration of Hindu Public Religious Institution and Charitable Endowments is vested, and includes any person or body of persons who or which is liable as if such person or body of persons were a trustee.
CHAPTER II APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS AND STAFF