Security stepped up for counting of donations at Patna's Mahavir Temple after Ayodhya shrine row

Patna, Jul 7 (PTI) Security has been stepped up at the revered Mahavir Temple in Patna to ensure greater transparency in the donation counting process in view of the alleged embezzlement of devotees' offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a managing committee member said on Tuesday. The donation counting room has been put under CCTV surveillance, and personnel assigned to the monitoring room have been instructed to ensure that no unauthorised individuals enter the restricted area during the counting process, said Saayan Kunal, member secretary of Shri Mahavir Mandir Nyas Samiti. "Now, there are a total of six CCTV cameras in the donation counting room. Cash is manually sorted, counted, packed, and sealed in front of the bank officials on every Wednesday and Thursday," he told PTI. "Also, the temple's SOP of cash counting mandates a dress code for those engaged in the process. They have to wear clothes without pockets. These clothes are provided by the temple administration," he said. Kunal said the series of stringent security measures was taken to ensure greater transparency in the counting of donations following the "alleged theft of devotees' offerings at a temple in the country". "The managing committee has also decided to conduct a monthly review of devotees' offerings. A dedicated CA has been appointed exclusively for this purpose. All these measures are being taken as preventive steps to ensure that no irregularities occur," he said. According to estimates, the temple receives annual donations of between Rs 4 crore and Rs 6 crore. During the 2025-26 financial year, the total collection stood at Rs 5.93 crore, Kunal said. "As per the established protocol, the donation boxes are opened in the presence of members of the temple's managing committee and designated support staff. The cash is then taken to a transparent counting centre," he said. The temple trust is also building a 'Ramayana Temple' in Kalyanpur block of Champaran district, where the giant Shiva Lingam was recently installed. The height of the main temple will be 270 feet, and the complex will have 18 towers and 22 temples dedicated to different deities, said Kunal, son of Late Acharya Kishor Kunal. It took 45 days to bring the Shiva Lingam to Motihari from Tamil Nadu via Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, he said. PTI PKD SOM