The Maharashtra government’s proposed Maharashtra Devasthan Inams Abolition (Draft) Act, 2026 has sparked renewed discussion about the future of temple land in the state and legal control over it. The draft seeks to end the old Devasthan Inam system and clarify rights for various parties involved.
Devasthan Inam lands originated when rulers granted property to temples and religious bodies to support rituals, upkeep and staff. These grants often led to priests farming the plots, tenants working them, residents building homes and hereditary managers overseeing operations for generations.
Unlike other inam categories abolished after independence, Devasthan Inams in Maharashtra persisted under overlapping revenue, tenancy and trust rules. This overlap produced uncertainty about control among temple trusts, cultivators, occupants and caretakers. Government figures estimate one lakh hectares involved, while temple trusts claim over four lakh hectares, many tied up in disputes.
The draft law aims to abolish the historical tenure system and place the lands under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. It defines roles such as pujaris who conduct rituals and may have farmed attached land, vahiwatdars who administer property and records, and mirasdars who are hereditary cultivators. Courts have typically ruled that ownership rests with the deity or institution, yet the proposal would grant Occupant Class-I rights, which are heritable and transferable, to certain occupants including lawful tenants.
Officials say the measure resolves long-standing conflicts and provides clarity without removing land from temples. Temple organisations counter that regularising occupants could gradually erode institutional control over donated properties. The provision allowing some unauthorised holders in possession before 2011 to seek rights if hardship is shown has drawn particular criticism.
