RICHEST TEMPLES OF INDIA

The richest temples: Investigators plan to pry open the final vault hidden deep under the centuries-old Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple as police guarded round the clock the shrine where billions of dollars worth of treasure has been discovered. Over the last week a seven-member team of investigators has broken into five of the six secret subterranean vaults piled high with jewels that have lain untouched for hundreds of years.

Padmanabhaswamy Kshetram : The temple that houses a sleeping idol of Lord Vishnu is the richest temple in the world. Treasure worth Rs 100,000 crore was recently found in secret chambers on temple land. Golden crowns, 17 kg of gold coins, 18 ft long golden necklace weighing 2.5 kg, gold ropes, sack full of diamonds, thousands of pieces of antique jewellery, and golden vessels were some of the treasures unearthed during the weekend.

Tirumala Tirupathi Venkateshwara : With an annual income of Rs 650 crore, Tirupathi Balaji is the second richest deity in India. The temple has over 3000 kgs of gold deposited in different banks and Rs 1000 crore in fixed deposits. The temple trust receives around Rs 300 crore, 350 kg of gold and 500 kg of silver as donations every year.

Shri Sai Sansthan Shirdi : The famous pilgrim centre of Shri Saibaba temple in Shirdi, one of the richest temples in Maharashtra, has ornaments and jewellery worth over Rs 32 crore and investments running into Rs. 450 crore according to official documents. The temple trust has gold worth Rs 24.41 crore, silver worth Rs 3.26 crore, silver coins worth Rs 6.12 lakh, gold coins worth Rs 1.288 crore and gold pendants worth Rs 1.123 crore. Annual revenue of the trust is approximately Rs 450 crore.

Mata Vaishno Devi: The second most visited temple in the country after Tirupathi Balaji, Vaishno Devi has an annual income of Rs 500 crore. Managed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, popularly called the Shrine Board, the temple has a daily income of Rs 40 crore.

Siddhivinayak Mandir: Situated in the heart of Mumbai, the second richest temple in the state of Maharastra has an annual income of Rs 46 crore and has Rs 125 crore in fixed deposits. The temple known for its famous devotees receives around Rs 10-15 crore as donations every year. As per the financial records of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, the assets of the temple stood at approximately 140 crore for the year ended March 2009.

Guruvayur Temple: Run by a nine-member committee under the Kerala Dewaswom Board, the most famous Lord Krishna temple in South India makes Rs 2.5 crore annually and has approximately Rs 125 crore in fixed deposits. The most sought after puja at the temple, the Udayaasthamana Puja, has a wait list till 2049! The dawn to dusk puja costs Rs 50,000.

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