RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: In an unusual development, the authorities of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada have stopped taking offerings from devotees as the hundis are full. There is no way the money in the hundis can be deposited in banks as the latter are no longer accepting coins and small notes since counting is a laborious process.
Hence, all 18 hundis in the temple are full to the brim and the devotees are not able drop their offerings in them. For the last few days, Telagnana Grameena Bank and Union Bank have been refusing to accept coins from the temple authorities and as a result, the hundis are overflowing.
Devotees who visited the temple on Sunday and Monday said that the authorities had placed baskets at the ‘Antharalayam’ (the temple’s main hall) in which they were asked to drop their offerings. Seizing the opportunity, some temple staff allegedly lined their pockets.
Every year the temple receives offerings of Rs 3 crore in coins alone. A majority of the devotees from rural areas drop coins instead of currencies, official sources told Express.After the devotees began raining questions as to where they should drop offerings, temporary hundis were placed adjacent to the main hundis, which too brimmed with cash and coins on Tuesday.
In the recent past, Rs 15 lakh worth coins were found from the hundis when a counting was carried out, during which a total of Rs 1.52 crore was registered.Normally, the temple authorities announce hundi counting programme after taking consent from bankers over acceptance of coins.
Temple Executive Officer D Krishna Prasad said that the next counting will be held on Wednesday. Coins will be stored at the temple rooms if bankers do not accept them.