Charitable & Religious Endowments

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abbas.hindu.law.religious.charitable.endowments Religious and Charitable Endowments A Hindu who is of sound mind and not a minor may dispose of his property by way of gift or will for religious and charitable purposes, such as the establishment and worship of an idol, performance of religious ceremony and feeding the poor or the Brahmins, founding a hospital, endowment of a university etc. In the case of Abdul Ali Molla v. Gopal Chandra Biswas it was held that “an endowment is the dedication of property by gift or will for some religious and charitable purposes.” So, any property which a Hindu can validly dispose of by will or gift may be dedicated by him for religious or charitable purposes. Charitable Endowment A charitable endowment includes the bequests for Dharmashalas, rest houses for feeding the poor, for the support of schools, colleges and universities, for dispensaries and hospitals for medical treatment and help to the poor, for the construction and maintenance of ponds, wells, reservoirs, tanks etc. Religious Endowment A religious endowment, which may be private or public, is a dedication of property, which has for its object, the establishment, maintenance or worship of an idol, deity or any other purpose which is religious in nature. Any property which is dedicated for religious purposes is called Debutter property which means property belonging to the Deity. Public and Private Endowment Religious endowments may be public or private. When the dedication is for the benefit of the public, it is called public endowment and when it is for a small group of individual, as opposed to the public at large, e.g., a family, it is a private endowment. The distinction between the two is that(i) In the case of private endowment the beneficiaries are definite and ascertainable individuals. But in the case of public endowment the beneficial interest is vested in an
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