 As indicated in the temple records, the priests of the temple were Shiva ascetics called Dandi Sanyasis, who belonged to [[Nambudiri]] community, a religious group common in modern [[Kerala]].When the last of the ascetics died without an heir in 1776 AD, the [[Garhwal Kingdom|King of Garhwal]] invited non-ascetic Nambudiris from Kerala for the priesthood, a practice that continues in modern times.Till 1939, all the offerings made by the devotees to the temple went to the Rawal (Chief Priest), but after 1939, his jurisdiction was restricted to religious affairs.