Rs 26 lakh! Huge collection at Dodda Ganapati temple
The hundi' had old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in large numbers.
Bengaluru: Ever since the Central Government announced the demonetisation of high value currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination, the Endowment Commission, coming under the district administration (Urban), has been busy taking stock of sudden rise in donations at temple hundis across the city. The commission has been counting the collections at several ‘hundis’ at popular temples across the city since the last two weeks after demonetisation which amounts to nearly Rs 43 lakh, said a senior official from the Endowment Commission.
Highest collection:
On Tuesday, the highest collection was recorded at Dodda Ganapati temple in Basavanagudi, where the Muzrai Department/Endowment Commission staff accounted nearly Rs 26 lakh, out of which Rs 7 lakh were in Rs 1,000 denomination and Rs 6.5 lakh in Rs 500 denomination, an official said. They explained that the money was collected within three months, the last accounting was done in August, whereas usually the temple collection touches Rs 26 lakh only after five months.
After the announcement of demonetisation, the Endowment commission visited seven popular temples – Bhagawan Maruthi Mandira near Baalbrooie guesthouse, Kaalika Kamateshwari temple and Venkataramana temple in Nagrathpet, Mahisha Mardhini temple, Katte Vinayaka temple, Anjeneya temple at Yelahanka Gate, and Nandi Theertha temple in Malleswaram and the combined hundi collection was Rs 17 lakh.
List of temples:
The Endowment commission has also made a list of temples that need to be visited in the coming days. On Wednesday they would take stock of hundi collections at Banashankari Temple and Venugopalaswamy Temple in Malleswaram, where the officials presume there will be more old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, a senior official hinted.