Mahakal Temple records highest-ever annual income:Collects record ₹142 crore; ₹78 crore came from donations alone

The Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain has recorded its highest-ever annual income, earning ₹142 crore during the 2025–26 financial year. According to the temple committee, ₹78 crore of this amount came from donations alone, marking the highest donation collection in the past six years and an increase of nearly ₹27 crore compared with the previous financial year. The surge in donations and overall revenue has been attributed to the growing number of devotees visiting the temple following the inauguration of the Mahakal Lok corridor. Donation boxes contribute the largest share Temple officials said the ₹78 crore in donations was received through multiple channels: Devotees also donated gold and silver ornaments worth several crores of rupees. Laddu sales generate ₹65 crore Apart from donations, the sale of Mahakal Temple’s famous laddu prasad generated an additional ₹65 crore during the financial year, significantly contributing to the temple’s overall revenue. Devotee footfall has nearly tripled since 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Mahakal Lok on October 11, 2022. Since then, the number of devotees visiting the temple has reportedly increased nearly threefold. Earlier, the temple welcomed around 40,000 to 50,000 visitors daily. That figure has now risen to approximately 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh devotees every day, leading to a corresponding increase in donations and income. Strict protocols followed for donation counting Following recent public discussions about donation management at other temples, Assistant Administrator Ashish Palwadia said the Mahakaleshwar Temple follows a transparent and well-defined process for handling donations. The temple has 95 donation boxes, and devotees can also contribute digitally through QR codes. The donation boxes are opened every week under tight security and in the presence of inspectors, assistant administrators, and other temple officials. The counting process is photographed and monitored through CCTV cameras to ensure transparency. Employees assigned to count donations must comply with strict rules, including wearing clothes without pockets or garments with stitched-shut pockets before entering the counting room to prevent any possibility of irregularities. Expansion has also increased operational costs Before the development of Mahakal Lok, the temple complex covered 2.82 hectares. Following the expansion, the area has grown to 47 hectares. The temple committee currently employs 306 staff members and incurs substantial expenditure on salaries, security, sanitation, maintenance, construction works, festival arrangements, dharamshalas, the Annakshetra, the Mahakaleshwar Vedic Research Institute, the gaushala, and cultural programmes. Monthly expenditure now exceeds ₹5 crore The committee also spends heavily on managing crowds and facilities during major occasions such as Mahashivratri, the Shravan month, and Nag Panchami. As a result, the temple’s monthly operating expenditure has more than doubled—from around ₹2.5 crore before the Mahakal Lok expansion to over ₹5 crore per month at present.