MUMBAI, INDIA, July 10, 2005: Despite the recent terrorist attack on the Ayodhya temple complex, places of worship in the city have yet to be insured against similar attacks. Apart from a few like the Siddhivinayak Temple and the Mumbadevi Temple, a majority were unaware of the existence of risk coverage against terror attacks. Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple has comprehensively insured its assets including the building premises, cash in transit and jewelery. The building has been insured for a sum of US$2 million, jewelry for $1.5 million and cash in transit for $23,000. “The risk coverage covers terror attacks, too, and we had specially asked for this clause. However, we have not renegotiated the risk coverage after the recent attacks,” said Sanjay Bhagwat, CEO of Siddhivinayak Ganpati Mandir (Prabhadevi) Trust. Mumbadevi Temple Trust manager N. D. Kanabar said that the temple was insured under the general clauses as well as against terrorism attacks. Most of the other places of worship were only insured under general terms like earthquakes, fires and natural calamities. Mahalakshmi Temple Trust chairman V. C. Vaidya said that the temple was insured against natural calamities and fire. “However, I am not aware of the clause for terror attacks and we have not insured against this,” he said.
The United India Insurance has a special “temple package insurance scheme” offering a comprehensive temple insurance that covers fire and allied perils, including covering temple structures and their contents from terrorist attacks. Temples insured include Tirupati Devasthanam in Andhra Pradesh, Madurai Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu, Shree Vaishnodevi and Guruvayoor Sreekrishna temple in Kerala among others. The idea of an insurance coverage for temples became popular after the deadly terrorist attack on the Swami Narayan temple in Gujarat.