India is known as the land of temples. The country is enriched with famous, ancient, colorful and rich temples. Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Tirupati Temple and Jagannath Temple are some of the richest temples in India and even the world. Here is a list of some of the richest temples in the country.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is known as the richest temple in the world. It has assets worth crores of rupees. The temple was in the news for the treasure kept in its vaults. After estimations, Padmanabhaswamy Temple is said to contain over one trillion hidden in its hidden chambers. The temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu receives donations including priceless gold ornaments, idols (the Golden Idol of Mahavishnu itself is worth INR 500 Crore), crowns and jewellery.
Shirdi’s Sai Baba
Shirdi’s Sai Baba has millions of followers all over the world and is known for helping the needy. Reportedly, there has been a collection of over INR 2,000 Crores by the temple. According to reports, the bank account of the temple has about INR 1,800 crores along with 380 Kg of Gold, 4,428 Kg Silver, and a large amount of money in the form of dollars and pounds is also present. Apart from this, devotees also donate crores of rupees. Up to INR 360 crore received as donation in a year.
Vaishno Devi Temple
Vaishno Devi Temple located in Jammu is one of the famous pilgrimage centers of the country. The temple in Jammu witnesses more than 10 million pilgrims annually making it the second most visited temple after Tirupati. The temple has 1.2 tonnes of gold and received hundreds of kgs of gold as donations over a period of 5 years. The temple is estimated to collect INR 500 crores worth of donations every year and is also being added to the list of richest temples in India.
Tirupati Tirumala Temple
Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Andhra is a temple where ten thousands of devotees come for pilgrimage every day. Lakhs of rupees are being donated to the temple’s treasury etc. daily. Currently, the temple is estimated to have assets of over 900 crores. More than 650 crores are received annually as donations. The temple also gets income from the sale of Tirupati Laddu.
Guruvayur Temple
Lord Vishnu in the form of Balakrishna is worshiped in the Guruvayur temple. The perimeter of the temple is made of 33.5 meters high gold layers. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is made of Patala Anjanam, which is not seen in any other temple in India. It is estimated that the temple has assets of 2500 crores.
Golden Temple in Amritsar
Also known as Sri Harmantar Sahib, the Golden Temple is a holy place for Sikhs. The temple is located in Amritsar. The temple has reported an annual income of 500 crores. After going through a tumultuous period of demolitions, it was rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1830 purely with marble and gold. It is the view of the resplendent shrine, glistening in the centre of the tank that brings an infinite calmness.
Sabarimala Temple
The Sabarimala temple is located in Pathanamthitta, which is visited by pilgrims from within and outside the country irrespective of caste and creed. Lakhs of devotees come to visit Sabarimala during Mandal period after fasting for 41 days. The wealth of the temple is not only the 7 meter high ‘Makaravilakku’ and the gold-plated sanctum, but also the donations from the devotees. Reportedly, 15 kg of gold has been donated to the temple, and INR 105 crore received as donations every year.
Madurai Meenakshi Temple
It is estimated that at least 20,000 people visit the Meenakshi temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu every day. Shiva and Parvati are deified here. Millions of people visit the place to witness the 10-day Meenakshi Thirukalyan festival in April. Reports states, 60 Crores of gold, silver, diamonds and other donations reach the temple every year.
Puri Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple is located in Puri, Odisha. 30,000 acres of land surrounding the temple is registered here in the name of Jagannath. The chariot festival here is world famous. Around 209 kg of gold is believed to be donated to Jagannath during the Suma Besha festival. Thousands of pilgrims visit here every day.
Siddhi Vinayaka Temple
Siddhi Vinayaka Temple in Mumbai is a Ganipati idol. The assets of the temple are estimated to be 125 crores. Bollywood celebrities and others visit the temple. 158 kg of gold has been used to build the gopuram of the temple. Visitors flock here in numbers ranging from 25 thousand to 2 lakhs daily. Lord Ganesha sits under a gold roof and the temple has amassed 158 kg of gold offerings worth $67 million until now, making the temple richest of Mumbai collecting around 125 hundred crores annually.
