BANGALORE, INDIA, May 17, 2014 (New Indian Express): The Banashankari temple on Kanakapura Road is the richest among all temples administered by the government in Bangalore. The Anjaneya (Hanuman) temple in Mahalakshmi Layout and the Dodda Ganapathi temple on Bull Temple Road are the other two big revenue earners in Bangalore.
Together, the three temples earn an annual income of US$1.15 million. This includes donations, offerings and hundi collections, but excludes what devotees put into the arati plate. All the three temples are managed by the Endowment Department of the Karnataka government.
Bangalore Urban district has 985 temples while Bangalore city, with about 60 temples, earned $2.7 million in 2013-14. In addition to their annual earnings, the temples accumulate assets in the form of gold and silver ornaments and decorative items, now being assessed and valued by the department. Till date, about 50 per cent of the valuation has been completed and it may take two more months for a comprehensive assessment, an official said.
Jayaprakash, Assistant Commissioner, Muzrai Department, said, “The Banashankari temple alone holds gold and silver jewelery worth about $767 thousand, while the Jayanagar Ganesha temple holds jewels worth more than $511 thousand. We are now building a complete data bank with photos and videos of jewels with details of their weight, size, and purity.”