In this Act unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context-
(a) “endowment’ means all property belonging to or given or endowed for he support of the Temple or given or endowed for the performance of any service including the service of offerings to the deity or charity connected therewith the includes the institution concerned and also the premises thereof, but does ‘not include gifts or property made as personal gifts to the Sevak or Pujari or other employee of the Temple;
Explanation :– Any gift, Inam or Maufi or Shebait or Jagir, granted to a Sevak, Pujari or other employee of the Temple or to any other person for the performance of any service including the service of offerings to the deity or charity in or connected with the Temple shall not be deemed to be a personal gift to the said Sevak, Pujari or the~ employee but shall be deemed to be an endowment; .
(b) ‘prescribed’ means Prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(c) ‘specific endowment’ means any property or money endowed for the performance of any specific service or charity in the Temple, and * Vide Orissa Act No. 14 of 1952.
For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Orissa Gazette, Ext./21.6.1952.
The Act came into force on 5th September, 1952 vide Notfn. No. 6105-End, published in the Orissa Gazette, Ect./5.9.1952.
The Odisha Gazette EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY Orissa Act 14 of 1952 2
(d) ‘temple’ means the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri, other temples within its premises, all their appurtenant and subordinate shrines, other sacred places and tanks and any additions which may be made thereto after the commencement of this Act.
CASE LAWS Sec.2 (a) Expl. - Private religious endowments to Sevaks or Pandas - Control of, by Sec. 15 (5) of Orissa Act 11 of 1954 - Validity - Does not contravene Arts. 19 (1)
(f) or 31 (2).
Held, prima facie every offering of bhog to the deity becomes its property unless intention of the donor can be clearly established. But whether such an endowment is a public religious trust or a private religious trust, it is clearly connected with the Temple in as much as the bhog is required to be offered to the deity at puri and nowhere else.
Hence, the control over such an endowment may appropriately be included in a statute dealing with the Temple and its endowments unless there are constitutional objections:
Bhimsen Gochhikar v. State of Orissa: AIR 1959 Ori. 17.