Why questions rose over Ram temple donations:Padmanabha uses judicial supervision; Sanwaliya Seth allows public participation in counting

The system for counting donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has come under scrutiny after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced. On June 7, former Uttar Pradesh minister Pawan Pandey claimed that nearly ₹7.5 crore had been stolen from temple offerings. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also alleged misappropriation of donations. As the controversy escalated, Ram Temple Trust General Secretary Champat Rai denied the allegations, stating that the donations were currently under audit and that no theft had been detected. However, on June 10, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) sought a report from the temple trust on the matter. The controversy has drawn comparisons with other major temples in India—including Tirupati Balaji, Shirdi Sai Baba, Sanwaliya Seth, and Padmanabhaswamy—where donation management systems are considered highly transparent and tightly monitored. How Ram Temple donations are managed At the Ram Temple, donations are counted daily under CCTV surveillance. Key concerns raised Now know what is the system of other big temples in the country Padmanabhaswamy temple: Donations monitored by a district judge Keralam’s Padmanabhaswamy Temple, regarded as one of the world’s wealthiest temples, follows a system supervised by an administrative committee constituted under Supreme Court directions. The District Judge of Thiruvananthapuram chairs the committee, and donation boxes are opened under CCTV surveillance in the presence of bank officials, security personnel, and committee members. Periodic audits ensure transparency. Tirupati temple: Devotees can watch the counting process The Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh receives approximately ₹4–4.5 crore in donations every day. Counting takes place in a dedicated high-tech facility called the “Parakamani Hall,” which features glass walls allowing devotees to observe the process. Only Hindu men aged 35 to 65 who are serving or retired government employees, public sector workers, or bank officials are permitted to count donations. Those involved must wear traditional white dhotis and angavastrams without pockets and are prohibited from carrying mobile phones, wallets, or personal jewellery. Sanwaliya Seth temple: Public can participate in counting At Rajasthan’s Sanwaliya Seth Temple in Chittorgarh, donation boxes are opened every month on Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi. The counting takes place in an open hall over several days, and daily press releases disclose the amount of cash and precious metals counted. Notably, ordinary devotees are allowed to participate in counting after providing Aadhaar identification. Officials at the Additional District Magistrate level, temple board members, and Bank of Baroda staff supervise the process, while around 200 people count the notes under CCTV and live video recording. Gold and silver donations are electronically weighed and documented before being stored securely. The temple reportedly received donations exceeding ₹337 crore during the 2025–26 financial year. Shirdi Sai Baba temple: Government audit and bulletproof counting hall The Shirdi Sai Baba Temple in Maharashtra also follows a transparent system. Donation boxes are opened in the presence of the Chief Executive Officer and bank officials, while counting takes place inside a bulletproof glass enclosure. Employees handling donations wear pocketless clothing and undergo metal detector screening before entering the counting area. Importantly, audits are conducted by Maharashtra’s Local Fund Audit Department rather than private auditors. How the Ram temple controversy began On June 7, former minister Pawan Pandey alleged that nearly ₹7.5 crore had been stolen from Ram Temple donations. Akhilesh Yadav subsequently called for judicial scrutiny of the matter. Champat Rai dismissed the allegations, saying no such discrepancies had been found. The controversy intensified when former accounts in-charge Mahipal Singh alleged that thefts had been occurring since 2021. He claimed that there was no written record of gold and silver donations and that photographs of precious metal offerings were merely sent to General Secretary Champat Rai. According to Singh, only Rai and his driver, Ramshankar Yadav (also known as Tinnu), knew where such donations were ultimately stored. He further alleged that vouchers for depositing cash in banks were processed without obtaining his signatures. Following the allegations, BJP leader Dr. Rajneesh Singh wrote to the Prime Minister on June 9 seeking a CBI investigation. The next day, the PMO requested a report from the Ram Temple Trust. On June 10, Ram Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra also convened a meeting with trust members to discuss issues related to donations, their utilization, and accounting procedures. ​