Donations at prominent temples under scrutiny:Irregularities found in record keeping at Omkareshwar, Mahakal

After the controversy over the theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the donation systems of major temples in Madhya Pradesh are under scrutiny. When Bhaskar investigated the accounts of donations in big temples across the state, several shocking revelations came to light. Although Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple has a three-tier system for the security of cash donations, public details of gold and silver donations are missing. In Omkareshwar, the amount from donation boxes was made public for the first time, while accounts of online donations, quick darshan, prasad, and other income are still not made public. Meanwhile, in Baglamukhi Temple of Agar Malwa, a fake committee was collecting donations. An investigation has been launched on the orders of the Collector. What happens with your donations in MP’s temples? Omkareshwar: Donation box figures revealed, silence on other income After the Ayodhya dispute, the Omkareshwar Temple Trust for the first time made public the amount received from donation boxes. On July 9, the Trust informed that ₹24.41 lakh were received from the donation boxes in one week. Here, donations are counted every Tuesday and Friday. However, the Trust still does not make public the details of income from online donations, Prasadalaya, laddu sales, and quick darshan. For quick darshan, ₹300 are charged per devotee, and six thousand slots are fixed daily. People associated with the temple say that the demand for transparency has been rising for a long time. Allegations have also been made that during counting, high-denomination notes do not appear as expected. In the past, videos of money being extracted from donation boxes also went viral, but there was no significant change in the system. Officials trying to avoid the media When Bhaskar sought information from Assistant Administrator Uday Mandloi, he asked to speak with Assistant Executive Officer Ashok Mahajan. Mahajan advised contacting SDM Pankaj Verma. The SDM did not receive the call nor did he reply to the message. Mahakal: Gold-silver record not public Donation boxes are opened in the transparent counting room built in the Mahakal temple complex in the presence of bank employees. The entire complex is under CCTV surveillance and recordings are kept secure. Cash donations are counted daily, except on bank holidays. There are also strict rules for entering the counting room. Clothes with pockets are prohibited or sealed. Officials are on rotation duty and the entire process is under supervision. Donations are accepted at the temple through 95 donation boxes, the official website, and 24 QR codes. In the financial year 2025-26, an income of over ₹145 crore has been recorded through various means. The amount received through receipts is reconciled daily and deposited in the bank. However, public data for donations of gold, silver, and other precious metals is not available. Officials state that this information is not shared due to security reasons. Jewellery received as donations is weighed by authorized jewellers, kept in a sealed strong room, and the strong room is opened only in the presence of three officials. People are expressing doubt on the system Mahakal Temple Assistant Administrator Ashish Pehalwadia says that donations are counted daily, excluding bank holidays, and the entire process is carried out under a three-tier security system. Even after this clarification from the Assistant Administrator, people have now started expressing doubt on the system. Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal has also raised the question that three years ago, there was talk of conducting a physical verification of gold and silver, but it has not been done yet. People associated with the temple administration claim that the donations of gold and silver are safe, but they neither disclose its weight nor its value according to the current market price. The basis of all suspicion is this lack of transparency. Baglamukhi: Fake committee collected donations Serious allegations have emerged regarding the donation system at Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda, Agar Malwa. Collector Preeti Yadav has constituted a three-member inquiry committee, which includes the District Panchayat CEO, District Treasury Officer, and Nagar Parishad CMO. Here, a non-governmental organisation was fraudulently collecting donations and offerings parallel to the government management committee. The investigation team has examined the relevant bank accounts, lockers, and documents. Information about finding gold, silver, and cash in the locker has also come to light. The investigation is looking into the basis on which the non-governmental committee was accepting donations. What is the accounting of the cash and gold-silver received, and whether any government official or temple management played a role in it. Dewas: Here, both income and expenditure are accounted for and audited At Mata Tekri in Dewas, there are about 11 donation boxes in the temples of Badi Mata Tulja Bhavani and Chhoti Mata Chamunda. Here, donation boxes are opened approximately 10 times a year. The entire process is live videographed. During the counting of donations, Patwari, Revenue Department, Temple Committee, and senior officials are present. The temple premises are monitored 24 hours a day by three cameras. Approximately ₹1.25 crore is received annually from the donation boxes. According to Tekri in-charge and Naib Tehsildar Kapil Gurjar, the entire process is carried out under administrative supervision and videography. Last year, an income of ₹1.25 crore was generated. Expenses amounted to approximately 1.45 crore rupees. An attempt will be made to compensate for the 20 lakh rupees of debt shown as deferred expenses this year.