An investigation into alleged irregularities in fundraising at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has put the shrine’s finances under the microscope.
Investigators examining the donation accounting process at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust told HT they identified lapses in the handling of cash — which, HT’s analysis found, also differed from the processes used by three other temple trusts in Uttar Pradesh.
According to financial records, $An amount of Rs 82.78 crore has been donated to Ram Temple between April 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026. Trust has been gained again $138.03 crore as interest on bank deposits during the same period, taking its income to Rs 138.03 crore. $220.81 crores during the period.
So far, eight cash counting employees have been arrested, and the police have recovered $79.85 lakh from seven of them. Two senior members of the temple trust, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, resigned after the controversy erupted.
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Counting process
According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case, money collected from around 40 donation funds passed through multiple hands without proper segregation of duties or independent verification, a senior official who did not wish to be named told HT.
The Trust has been entrusted with the responsibility of voluntary accounting for the State Bank of India (SBI). An official of the fund, who did not wish to reveal his name, said that the counting team included SBI employees, employees of a Varanasi-based agency and some members of the fund.
Counting staff were never required to wear clothing without pockets, and no government officials were ever included to supervise the counting work. The responsibility for inspecting money dealers was also assigned to a private agency.
Although CCTV cameras were installed, the footage was automatically replaced after 45 days. Officials said documentation was weak, and there were insufficient auditing mechanisms and instructions.
Read also: Weak preventive measures at Ram Temple; Tighter cash controls at other major UP attractions
How other temples manage donations
Three of the other largest temple trusts in Uttar Pradesh have institutional protocols indicating financial accountability.
At the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, the 56 donation boxes are opened twice a week under the direct supervision of the sub-divisional magistrate. “The counting is done under constant surveillance from CCTV cameras in the presence of bank officials and an independent retired newspaper employee. Every transaction is documented, before being deposited in the government treasury,” said S Rajalingam, chairman of Shree Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Varanasi district commissioner.
At Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura, donations are being accepted through three receiving offices that are permanently functioning under CCTV surveillance, said Kapil Sharma, secretary of Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, said.
At the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, the management of donations is overseen by a high-level committee constituted under the directions of the Supreme Court and headed by a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court. Donation boxes are opened once a month in the presence of the Divisional Magistrate and committee members, under CCTV surveillance, before the collections are deposited into approved bank accounts.
In all three cases, an outside authority — a judge, retired judge or Treasury official — personally oversees the process.
