Annual offerings in cash at Pashupatinath temple only 71 thousand rupees

December 2, 2005
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Pashupatinath temple (File Photo)

Pashupatinath temple (File Photo)
Though hundreds of thousands devotees visit the Pashupatinath temple, the annual offering to the temple is just 71,000 rupees this year, reports said.

Gold worth 175,000 thousand rupees was also collected during the period.

However more than 500,000 rupees was collected from a donation box kept at the temple premises by the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT).

As per the tradition, the annual income of the temple is made public on Thursday, the next day of Bala Chaturdashi festival. Gold and money worth over 200,000 rupees was collected last year.

210 grams of gold was purchased and kept at the store of the temple from the money collected from the offerings. However it is yet to know how much gold was at the store, the Kantipur daily reports.

According to critics the income is very low in comparison to the devotees visiting the temple.

According to organizers, nearly one million devotees visited the temple in Bala Chaturdashi festival only.

Officials at the PADT said the income is very low as the Bhattas (preachers) distribute the money within themselves.

Hundreds of thousands rupees will be collected during the closed-door prayers during the month of Poush (mid December to January), but it is not transparent how many people offer such prayers and how much money they pay for such prayers.

People say the money could be misappropriated in mutual consensus among the Bhattas and Bhandaris, who are responsible for the protection of the property of the temple.

Officials at the PADT said that main Bhatta and existing laws are responsible for such things.