MYSURU: Call it due to the State Government’s Shakti scheme allowing women to travel for free in state-run buses or the month of Ashada which pulls devotees to temples, the hundi collection of major temples across Karnataka has seen a drastic rise. On Wednesday, hundis were counted at the famous Nanjangud Srikanteshwara Temple. where over 100 women of various self-help groups helped in the counting process. The temple’s hundi collection has touched Rs 1.77 crore this season and the temple staff say that it could be due to the Shakti scheme.
Similarly, the hundi collection at the famous Yellamma temple in Saundatti, Belagavi district, has also swelled. The temple’s hundis have collected Rs 1.37 crore between May 17 and June 30.
According to SPB Mahesh, CEO of Yellamma temple, the total cash collected in the hundis is Rs 1.30 crore. Apart from cash, gold ornaments worth Rs 4.44 lakh and silver articles worth Rs 2.29 lakh were also collected in the hundis. The launch of Shakti scheme has led to an increase in the arrival of women devotees to the temple, he said. Mahesh said that the donation from the temple hundis would be utilised to develop infrastructure in the temple, including the construction of a ring road and a bus shelter.
After the Shakti scheme was implemented (June 11), temples under the Endowment Department are seeing a rise in hundi collection.
Dr G Santhosh Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, said that in Kukke Subramanya temple in Kadaba taluk, the hundi collection stood at Rs 3,03,48,146 in June — an increase of Rs 84,55,342 compared to May. “In May, Kukke Subramanya temple collected Rs 2,14,92,804. Another temple under the Endowment Department — Shri Mahalingeshwara temple at Puttur — registered Rs 15,02,838 in June with an increase of Rs 3,80,406 compared to May (Rs 11,22,432),” he said.
Authorities from Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple also said there is slight increase in the hundi collection. Kolar district too is witnessing a sea of women devotees thronging famous temples, including Kolaramma temple, Mulbagal Kurudumale Sree Vinayaka Temple, Mulbagal Anjaneya Swamy temple, Chikka Tirupathi and other temples, said Nagaveni, Muzrai Tahsildhar.