A trip to the richest temples in India

Calling India the land of temples won’t be an understatement. The country is dotted with famous, ancient, colourful and wealthy religious places. Yes, wealthy! Religious sites such as the Padmanabhaswamy Temple,Tirupati Temple and Jagannath Temple are counted among the richest temples in India as well as the world!Here is a list of some of the wealthiest temples in the country. It is believed that more than half of India's poverty would be eradicated if these temples open their coffers!

This one is the richest of all! The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is also considered as the wealthiest Hindu temples in the world. Situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, its treasure includes diamonds, gold ornaments and gold statues among others.We are talking about wealth of nearly 20 billion dollars!

Second on the list is the Tirupati Temple of Andhra Pradesh. A Vaishnavite sect temple in India, Tirupati is the richest temple in the world in terms of donations. A lot of devotees make generous donations in the name of Lord Venkateswara every year. By a lot, we mean an annual donation of INR 650 crore. The temple earns in millions just by selling ladoo prasad.

On third spot in the list is Saibaba shrine in Shirdi, Maharashtra. According to temple records, the shrine got gold worth INR 32 crore! Besides, a lot of wealthy devotees make huge donations to the temple every year, estimated to be about INR 360 crore.

Vaishno Devi Temple is considered one of the most sacred places in the country. One of the recognised Shakti Peetha temples in India, the temple earns more than INR 500 crore annually. A number of devotees from all over the globe visit the place to pay their respects to the Goddess every year, and the donations are simply overwhelming!

Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai is one of the most celebrated temples in the country. From Bollywood eminents to business tycoons, it sees a lot of celebrities. As per the records, the temple earns around 125 crore annually, including heavy donations made by the rich countrymen.

The gorgeous Meenakshi Amman Temple is a prominent landmark in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, the temple earns revenue in millions every year. It was also on the nominee list for the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Another prominent and super rich temple in the country is the Jagannath Temple of Puri. Although no one knows the exact wealth of the temple, it is estimated that the temple has more than 100 kg of gold and silver items. The ancient temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannatha and is a prime pilgrimage centre for Hindus. Besides, the temple is also renowned for its annual Rath Yatra festival.

Amritsar’s Golden Temple symbolises beauty, brotherhood and equality. It is not only one of the holiest Sikh shrines in the country, but is also among the wealthiest temples in India. The canopy of the Golden Temple is made using pure gold, while its altar where the holy book of Guru Granth Sahib is kept is studded with precious stones.

Gujarat’s Somnath Temple is also one of the richest temples in India in terms of annual donations which is in crores. It is one of the oldest and most revered temples in the country visited by lakhs of devotees every year. The temple is built in Veraval in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, and is also among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.