Mandirs and money.
Devotees and donations.
Faith and fraud.
The story runs in lakhs of crores in India.
How is this confluence of faith, wealth and influence managed?
The theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir has sparked a new debate over donations to temples across the country and how they are managed.
There are estimated 8-10 lakh temples in India, of which about 4 lakh temples and their trusts operate under state governments’ special religious laws and the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.
These temples hold estimated assets worth Rs 9 lakh crore.
Temples In India
Among these, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of registered temples at around 79,154, followed by Maharashtra with 77,283 and West Bengal with 53,658.
Non-government temples are usually run through private trusts, akharas or priests and are registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.
In Uttar Pradesh, there are estimated to be more than 37,500 registered temples and religious trusts. Three key temples in the state operate under full or partial government control – Kashi, Ayodhya and Mathura.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is fully under government control, with the Varanasi Commissioner heading its Board of Trustees.
For the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, after the Supreme Court’s verdict, the Central government formed a 15-member trust to oversee and manage its finances.
At Mathura’s Banke Bihari Temple, the Supreme Court has appointed a retired High Court judge for supervision.
Theft of donations at Ram Mandir has shaken devotees’ trust
How To Restore Devotees’ Trust?
The question now is: how can the trust of devotees who donate crores to temples be restored?
Speaking to NDTV, Advocate Vishnu Sharma said, “This is where the government errs. The Supreme Court has said several times that it is not the government’s job to run temples. Then why does the government interfere in temple management?”
On the Ram Temple theft case, Sharma pointed out that apart from Nritya Gopal Das, the government appointed all outsiders to the trust. “This encouraged corruption because these people had no experience in running temple affairs or managing donations.”
Citing the Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura, he said, “More than Rs 250 crore is deposited in the temple’s account, but there has never been a dispute over donations. Yes, about 15 cases are pending in the Supreme Court, but all are among the Gosains. Two years ago, a retired judge was appointed to oversee incoming donations at Banke Bihari Temple. But that is not a solution. Temple management should involve families associated with the temple, and banks should handle financial transactions. The government should not take full control.”
The Richest Temples Of India
So, which temple receives the highest donations in the country?
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam gets Rs 1,880 crore annually in donations, while another Rs 1,000 crore comes from online tickets and prasadam.
But how does the temple’s trust function?
NDTV spoke to noted spiritual speaker Dushyant Sridhar. He says, “Wherever humans are involved in temple management, there will be corruption. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Trust is controlled by the state government, but to prevent corruption in donations, UPI-based donation systems have been set up and are being strengthened. Gold or silver has to be donated at the administrative office with a receipt issued.”
These steps have curbed corruption to a large extent, he pointed out, but added that doesn’t mean temples in the South are completely free of corruption. “Temples in Tamil Nadu and Kerala are thousands of years old and held hundreds of acres of land. Many complaints have surfaced regarding those lands.”
On the Ram Mandir donation theft, Dushyant said, “Not everyone is guilty. Some have committed the fraud.”
Like Tirupati Temple, devotees have immense faith in Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, where gold and silver are offered in large quantities. Over the last 20 years, more than 1,000 kg of gold has been offered there.
NDTV spoke to an official associated with the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. According to him, apart from gold and silver, around Rs 250 crore is offered by devotees annually. The temple is run by a board headed by the Governor. “All donations are counted in an open hall under tight paramilitary security. Counting staff wears pocket-less dungarees, like those worn by Air Force personnel. The entire process is monitored through paramilitary personnel and state-of-the-art CCTVs. A control room is monitored by paramilitary forces and board officials,” the official said. Gold and silver offerings, he said, are handled under the supervision of Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation (MMTC) and bank staff. “MMTC later melts the gold and silver to mint Mata Vaishno Devi coins.”
But experts believe that from Kashi Vishwanath Temple to Puri and Mathura, no temple is free of controversy. And it is also true that systems cannot be built overnight in temples linked to thousands of crores in donations and the faith of billions.
Tirupati Temple gets about Rs 1,800 crore in donations annually
Annual Donations To Big Temples
A look at annual donations to major temples in the country:
Tirupati Temple gets about Rs 1,880 crore, Vaishno Devi Temple about Rs 250 crore, Ram Mandir Rs 150 crore, Siddhivinayak Temple Rs 100 crore, Kashi Vishwanath Temple Rs 80 crore, and Jagannath Puri Temple Rs 18 crore annually.
Meanwhile, according to recent data from the Global Wealth Index, the total wealth of India’s top-10 richest temples is estimated at over Rs 9 lakh crore.
A sharp rise in gold prices and record offerings from devotees have led to a major increase in these temples’ wealth over the past two years.
Estimates suggest the Tirumala Tirupati Temple holds assets worth over Rs 3 lakh crore, making it the third-richest religious site in the world. More than 10 tonnes of gold is deposited in its bank accounts.
Kerala’s Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is known for its secret ‘vaults’ containing ancient gold coins, diamonds, jewels and idols. The trust also owns hundreds of acres of prime land.
The Jagannath Puri Temple has assets worth over Rs 112 crore. Next is Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple with assets of over Rs 2,500 crore and large land holdings.
The Mata Vaishno Devi Temple holds assets worth over Rs 700 crore. Devotees have donated more than 1,800 kilograms of gold and 4,700 kilograms of silver to the temple.
