The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday decided to revamp the temple donation system by accepting only online transfers after the recent donation row to the Ayodhya Ram temple.
Minister of State for Religious Endowments, Endowments, Culture and Tourism, Dharmendra Lodhi, said: “We are forming a committee to ensure transparency in the donation system. All government-run temples and shrines will adopt a secure mechanism. While donations will continue to be made in hundis, larger contributions will only be accepted through online systems. QR codes will also be promoted to facilitate small donations.”
The committee will inspect prominent temples across the state to review current practices. He added that after evaluating it, a detailed report will be submitted to the government to enhance transparency in donations and offers.
He added that donations will be accepted in major temples only through secure online channels while temple managements will promote the QR code system for small donations.
Read also:The dispute explained that the Ayodhya Ram Temple is focusing on the alleged disappearance of donation funds
The move comes after allegations regarding donations to the Ayodhya Ram Temple were discussed publicly, although no official confirmation has been issued regarding the allegations. A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the alleged misappropriation of donation funds. According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, devotees contributed $54.79 crore through donation boxes installed at Ram Mandir, while $Rs 18.88 crore was received through cash counters on the temple premises. Online donations are counted $8.33 lakh crore, amounting to contributions received under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act $0.78 Crores. Aside from donations, I gained trust $138.03 crore as interest on its bank deposits during the same period.
In 2025 alone, temples in Madhya Pradesh received donations and funds exceeding $250 Crores. The highest income is reported by Mahakaleshwar Temple $168 crore, followed by Maa Sharda Devi Temple in $27 Crore, and Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa in $35 Crores.
