Rs 6 lakh demonetized notes found dumped in Kukke temple

Mangalore Today News Network

Subrahmanya, May 6, 2017: Kukke Subrahmanya temple is the richest muzrai temple in Karnataka, situated at foothills of the Western Ghats in Dakshina Kannada district, has just received around Rs 6 lakh in banned currency notes dumped in its hundis. It has also received Rs 3,11,979 in US dollars and currencies of Arab countries.

The temple’s income has touched Rs 89.65 crore in 2016-17 up by Rs 1 crore from the previous year.

In 2006-2007, the income of the temple was just Rs 19.76 crore. A large chunk of the temple’s income comes from various sevas being offered by the temple administration. Of the Rs 89 crore revenue, Rs 19 crore has come as interest on deposits the temple has made in various banks. The offerings alone contributed Rs 1.68 crore and the hundi collection stood at Rs 17.65 crore. This apart, the agricultural income contributed Rs 2.12 crore, rent from temple’s properties Rs 44 lakhs, grants Rs 1.22 crore and sevas collection Rs 38 lakh.

Speaking to media, the temple authorities, said they cannot do anything with the demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.  The first counting of hundi collections after demonetization was held on December 31, 2016, and the temple authorities had approached the authorities seeking exchange of the banned notes with legal currency.


"We have entered every details of the hundis in which money was received. Further, we have also written to the endowment department commissioner, Bengaluru, seeking suggestions on exchanging banned notes with the legal currency," said an official, on condition of anonymity. He mentioned that several temples in the district are facing the same problem.  The temple draws people in large numbers for its Sarpa Samskara, Sarpa Dosha and other sevas. The temple has high-profile devotees like cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Javagal Srinath, Ravi Shastri, Venkatesh Prasad, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty, Juhi Chawla, liquor baron Vijay Mallya and politicians of a wide range.