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"On the other hand, many qualified persons (granthis, pathis, and sewadars – various types of Sikh priests) looking for jobs run to touts, agents and crooks who cheat them out of millions," says Singh, "and I thought just as there are job sites for business-related employment, all those with experience and knowledge of running gurdwaras need a platform too to earn a better living and promote Sikhism."
"Religion is a huge business in India, and like many other religious institutions, gurdwaras too are run mostly by business-minded people who, contrary to the general belief, do everything that a business does," he adds.
Admittedly, mixing business with religion may be considered questionable by many, but in this country of over 1 billion people driven primarily by culture and tradition, religion is not just a set of beliefs and personal faith. It is also a booming industry.
With its hard-nosed commercialism, religion in India is also spawning a plethora of business ventures from music and video compact discs, to tourism and TV channels, even to spiritual portals that allow an Indian to pay obeisance to his or her god through the Internet – for a price.
Many companies, including global ones like eBay, the Spanish porcelain luxury brand Lladro and Victorinox, are adding a dose of faith to their business strategies to not only help push their products in the market but also to sell their companies to millions of investors who consider "god as their business partner."
The Bombay Stock Exchange, India's oldest stock exchange, for instance, has over 60 Indian companies listed that start with the names of the most popular Indian gods and goddesses such as Lakshmi, Ganesha and Krishna, among others.
"India is a country of spirituality and religion, and is full of people who are spiritual and religious," says Dr. Mathew Chandrankunnel, former director of the Center for the Study of World Religions (not to be confused with Harvard Divinity School's research center), a Bangalore-based outfit that researches various religions. "And that makes it easy to induce many Indians to all kinds of businesses and ventures, in which some people even manipulate, engineer and squeeze money in the name of religion."
Chandrankunnel, a professor of physics and philosophy who is also a Catholic priest, believes that religion is so deep-rooted in the country that large numbers of naïve believers can be hoodwinked rather easily.
Take the instance of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, which runs the famous Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala, near the city of Chennai in South India. Every day thousands of devotees wait for hours just to get their heads shaved. The widespread belief is that sin can be washed away by offering hair to Lord Venkateswara: a belief that earns the trust about US$25 million a year from the sale of "offered hair."
TTD also runs web sites, e-seva and e-hundi, that collect donations, distribute "prasad" – a kind of blessing – and auction hair online. But if TTD is believed to be the richest Hindu religious trust in the world, with an estimated half a billion dollars, due to its administrative excellence, it is not the only one that is famous for its business model.
Another religious institution that innovatively applies technology and modern business practices to run the organization efficiently is the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai. Although Hanumant Balwant Jagtap, chief executive officer of Siddhivinayak, doesn't like to discuss the annual revenues of the trust he runs, he did reveal that Siddhivinayak collects US$7 million a year through donations alone.
"There is also the temple web site that enables one to offer pooja (pay obeisance) virtually and sells "prasad" and generates sizable revenues as well," says Jagtap.
So is Siddhivinayak run like a business? "We do not need to promote this institution like a business," said Jagtap. "Siddhivinayak's popularity ensures that it gets donations and generates revenues without much effort. But its various philanthropic initiatives are run like a business."
The reason behind the booming faith industry is simple. The Indian economy is booming, and "that is providing a fillip to the business of religion as well," says Chandrankunnel. According to Technopak Advisors, a New Delhi-based retail management consultancy firm, it is well known that the growing economy is resulting in burgeoning consumption – but the influence of religion on India's consumption habits is highlighted by the fact that almost half the demand for consumer goods comes between October and December, which is the festival period in the country.
The other reason why many businesses prefer to bank on religion is that it offers a ready-made marketing channel in the form of temples and other religious institution-backed social services outlets. "Many people consider god to be their sleeping partner and religion makes distribution and generating revenues easier," says Jagtap of the Siddhivinayak Temple.
"Besides," adds Chandrankunnel, "one finds at least a temple in even the remotest part of India.” And all that is required is a small collection box to start generating revenues.
This is perhaps the reason religion is also dirty business. According to Chandrankunnel, religion in India is dogged with controversies, intrigue, infighting and crime, all because of the money, power and influence it wields. "Religion provides a perfect cover for many misdeeds and India is full of such instances," says Chnadrankunnel.
A good example is the recent case of Amruta Chaitanya Swami, a Kerala-based self-proclaimed godman nabbed by the police on allegations of molestation and extortion in the name of religion. "There are many other charismatic groups operating both domestically and internationally, which indulge in similar activities," he says.
But according to the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations – an autonomous body of rationalists, atheists and secularists – controversies and allegations never seem to affect these institutions because of the political patronage and reverence they command.
Nevertheless, the business of religion has its upside as well. "Few can serve society as well as one connected with religion can," says Jagtap. For instance his institution, which is controlled by the state government, runs a plethora of social development programs offering education for the poor, health schemes, and the like, some of which spend more than US$1 million a year. "I do not think Shree Siddhivinayak Temple could have done it so successfully had it not been part of a religious institution," says Jagtap.
