A Look at 6 of the Richest Temples Across India

Ayodhya: The Ram Mandir is an architectural marvel that was built at the cost of approximately Rs 1,800 crore, making it one of the most expensive religious projects undertaken in the nation in recent years. India, of course, is a land of such architecturally and spiritually magnificent temples, with many such temples not only being built at a high cost but also possessing vast quantities of wealth and assets that are held by their trusts. Here is a look at six such temples in no particular order-

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala 

With treasures and assets estimated at over Rs 1 lakh crore, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu, has been in the news in recent years on account of the fabled vaults that lie underneath it. A public interest litigation was filed in the early 2010s in the Supreme Court for assessment of the temple's wealth and possible change in management of the same. While some vaults were opened as a result, ultimately the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family to manage the vast quantities of wealth held by the temple trust. 

Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu

Visited by lakhs of devotees every year, the famous Hindu shrine is known for its caves, the exact history of which remains lost in antiquity. An RTI filed by a Kumaon-based activist revealed that the temple has received over 1,800 kg of gold, 4,700 kg of silver and around Rs 2,000 crore in cash as donations in the two decades between 2000 and 2020. 

Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara temple, Andhra Pradesh

Dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu, the Venkateswara temple is known to witness some of the highest devotee footfall of any place of worship across the world. In specific regard to its wealth, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams which administers the temple released a white paper which pegged the total value of assets held by the temple at around Rs 2.26 lakh crore with these assets including over 10 tonnes of gold deposited in various nationalised banks. 

Guruvayur Devaswom, Kerala

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Guruvayur Devaswom in Kerala's Thrissur, like other temples on this list, is visited by countless thousands of devotees from across the world every year. In 2022, replying to an RTI, the Guruvayur Devaswom board reported bank deposits of Rs 1737.04 crore across various banks and possession of over 271 acres of land. The reply did not state the value of precious metals and stones held by the temple trust, however. 

Sri Jagannath Puri Temple, Odisha

Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, one of the forms of Lord Vishnu, the exact wealth of the temple is difficult to calculate as an inventory of its assets was last made in 1978. While a PIL was filed last year in the Odisha High Court for the inventory of the Ratna Bhandar to be taken anew, thus far, the temple trust has not provided information on the same. According to a Times of India report, the temple likely has bank deposits worth around 600 crore. In 1978, 128 kg of gold ornaments and 221 kg of silver utensils were inventoried in the Ratna Bhandar. To add to this, the temple is known to hold over 60,000 acres of land in Odisha and over 300 acres of land across six states. The value of this land remains unknown. 

Shirdi Sai Baba temple, Maharashtra

The world-famous Shri Sai Baba temple, at its peak, reportedly receives over 20,000 visitors every day, some of whom are highly free-handed in their donations. In 2022, for instance, the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust reportedly received more than Rs 400 crore in donations, which were made in various forms including 26 kg of gold and 330 kg of silver. The temple trust, of course, is engaged in several charitable pursuits including the running of two hospitals where all treatments are free and the provision of free meals to tens of thousands of people every day.