15 Most Rich Temples To Visit In India

India, a land of diverse culture and potpourri of religious beliefs has witnessed the rise of temples which are not only the destinations to seek solace at the feet of God but retreat to the eyes of the believers. Since time immemorial Hindu dynasties have commissioned the temples which could be termed as the flagship of their inclination towards art and culture as well as elements to make statement about their possessions of wealth. There are several temples that have been reckoned to be places of immense faith and miracle and thus draw a large number of devotees from all corners of the world. Their sacred entities and their affluent architecture have earned them unparalleled fame. However, many temples had to undergo renovation with the help of the donations made by devotees (donations were made to show gratitude to the God). Not as a bribe but to see their spiritual entities getting decked in best of everything, the devotees have donated sacks of gold, silver and diamonds, which have later become the possessions of temple trusts. Here is a glimpse of the temples which earn in crores every year:

* Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala

The richest temple in the country, the shrine of Lord Padmanabhaswamy possesses wealth of around $20 billion in six vaults of Gold. The Golden idol of Mahavishnu, found in this temple worth Rs. 500 Crore. The treasure that was reported to be found in Padmanabhaswamy Temple includes antique gold ornaments, Golden Crowns, Golden Bow, Sack full of Diamonds and thousands of antique jewellery studded with diamonds and emeralds. The Gold necklace adding charm to the divinity of the deity is 18 ft long and weighs around 2.5kg.

* Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh

May be till last decade, Tirupati temple was believed to be the richest temple in the country. But after the reports disclosing the unbelievable amount of assets possessed by Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Tirupati has gone down to the second position in terms of possessing wealth. Everyday around 60,000 devotees throng at the Venkateswara Temple. The presiding deity of the temple, Lord Venkateswara is clad with 1000kgs of Gold. The annual income out of selling laddus is around 11 million dollars. It is estimated that the temple gets donation of around 650 crore every year.

* Shirdi Saibaba Shrine, Mumbai

Indians irrespective of the region they belong to, have a strong belief in the miracles of Sai Baba. And perhaps that is the reason why people have donated so much to this temple that it has turned out to be the third richest temple in the country. Visited by the people of all religions this divine travel destination possesses gold and silver jewellery worth approximately Rs 32 crore and silver coins worth more than Rs 6 lakh. The annual donation received by the temple reaches up to an amount of around 360 crore.

* Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu

One of the oldest and richest temples in India, the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is visited by millions of devotees from across the world. Centre of deep rooted religious beliefs of the Hindus, the temple has an annual income of around 500 crore. Every year around 8 million pilgrims visit this temple and it is claimed to be the second most visited temple in India after Tirupati.

* Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai

Make a wild guess about the amount of assets a temple will possess which is thronged by 25 thousand to 2 lakh people every day. Yes, you guessed it right! The annual income of the Siddhivinayak Temple ranges from Rs 48 crore to Rs 125 crore. The dome over the main shrine of Ganesha is coated with 3.7kg gold. The black stone idol of Lord Ganesha found in this temple is around 200 years old. The temple was converted to a six storeyed building in 1990.

* Golden Temple, Amritsar

The most famous religious centre of the Sikh Community, Harmandir Sahib or Golden Temple attracts globetrotters for its arresting golden colour and exclusive architectural beauty. This charismatic golden shrine is adorned with golden and silver detailing and looks imposing at night for its strikingly illuminated golden dome. A blend of Indo-Islamic and Indo-European touch lends the temple a divine aura. The canopy of the temple is made of gold. The altar on which the holy book Guru Granth Sahib is kept is studded with precious diamonds and bright stones. It is estimated that on an average around 40,000 visitors throng here in Golden Temple every day.

* Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

One of the few temples in India that receives 20-30k people every day, Meenakshi Temple earns revenue of around 60 million every year. The temple enshrines around 33,000 sculptures in its periphery. Deity Meenakshi, the wife of Sundareshwar(Shiva) is the principal deity of the temple. There are 14 gopurams in the temple which vary in heights from 45–50m. The temple houses two golden Vimanas, which multiply the scenic opulence of this popular Hindu Shrine.

* Jagannath Temple, Puri

According to a report published in 2010, the bank deposits of Lord Jagannath Temple was about to reach 150 crore. The temple receives donation of around Rs. 15,000 to 20,000 with six times more donations in festive season. More than 30,000 devotees throng the shrine everyday and around 70,000 per day in festive season. A European devotee once donated 1.72 crore rupees through State Bank of India.

* Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

One of the most celebrated religious travel destinations in the country, Kashi Vishwanath Temple still stands in glory despite being looted and demolished several times in past. It is estimated that around over 3 million domestic and 200,000 foreign tourists visit this temple annually. The annual donations to Kashi Vishwanath come to a figure of around Rs 4-5 crore. Out of the three domes of the temple, two domes are gold plated.

* Somnath Temple, Gujarat

A temple which had been looted and demolished by the invaders around 17 times for its brimming gold and silver repository, Somnath Temple still possesses enough of assets to be called one of the richest temples in India. Exclusive architectural design, immense religious significance and overall the involvement of advanced scientific method to the construction of this coastal temple make this religious site a traveller’s delight.

* Amarnath Temple, Jammu

Despite being aware of the difficulties they will face, Hindu devotees from across the world wish to visit Amarnath Temple at least once in their life time. In 2014 more than 2.44 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at Amarnath Yatra. According to a report if the Yatra can be kept open for the devotees around the year, it can fetch a benefit of around Rs 24,000 cr for the government of Jammu and Kashmir.

* Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Kerala

Visited by as many as 40 to 50 million devotees every year Sabarimala Temple claims to be at the top of the list in terms of devotees visiting the temple. The interesting fact about the temple is that only men are allowed to enter this temple. Till date the revenue earned from Sabarimala Temple during pilgrimage season was around Rs. 230 crore. During the 2011-2012 pilgrimage season the total income was Rs 218 crore.

* Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi

A treat to the eyes of architecture lover, Akshardham Temple is the newest entry in this list. One of the most fascinating elements of Delhi tourism, this gorgeous Hindu Shrine attracts lacs of travellers every year. The idol of Swaminarayan is made of Gold while the Gurus are covered in leaf. It is delightful to know that the Swaminarayan temple holds the Guinness record for being the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.

* Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra

One of the 51 Shaktipeethas in India dedicated to Goddess Durga, Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur also ranks on the list of richest temples in India. The idol of the principal deity is made of black stone and is adorned with eye-catching gold and silver jewellery. According to a report the total income of this temple came to Rs. 14,66,83,000 during the accounting year 2013-14.

* Lingaraj Temple, Odisha

A popular seat of Lord Shiva, Lingaraj Temple witnesses crowd of around 6000 visitors everyday and around 2 lac visitors during Shivaratri. A breathtaking specimen of Kalinga Architecture, this temple earns annual income of more than 1.2 million from donation and another 4 million is collected from other sources like rents from shops, cycle stands and agriculture lands.