India is prominent for various religious destinations due to its mystic beauty and religious culture. India is a destination to a great range of historical monuments, palaces, forts, and temples. Many famous temples in India were built long back and few of them are believed to have a mystery of their own. Kings of the past have constructed temples as a way to employ people during the famine, keeping the army in shape and the temples remained a safe area for the locals to hide when invaders enter the region. The temples in India were constructed considering classic architectural features and with a royal ambiance which remains the main reason why temples in India stand for centuries. Travelers across the globe visit India to get mesmerized with the glimpse of religious performance held here. However many temples have undergone renovation either by the government or performed by the temple trusts. Here are given a list of India’s wealthiest temples which also remains top destinations for tourist across the globe.
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1. Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Kerala
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple is located in Trivandrum, Kerala and the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, managed by the former royal family of Travancore. It is the richest temple of our country that possesses a wealth of around 20 billion dollars. The golden idol of Lord Vishnu worth’s Rs 500 Crore and the treasure includes antique gold ornaments, golden crown & bow, a sack full of diamond, thousands of antique jewelry studded with diamond and emerald. The treasure was found one of the close vaults if the temple, which remained closed for several decades. The gold chain that adds charm to the idol weighs around 2.5 kg. The temple is designed in the Dravidian style and the highlight remains the idol of Padmanabhaswamy.
2. Tirupati Venkateswara Temple – Andhra Pradesh
Tirupati temple at Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh is the second richest temple in the world in terms of donation and wealth. More than 500000 pilgrims visit the temple every day and receive a donation in the form of cash, gold, and other offerings. According to belief, Lord Balaji who used to reside in the Tirupati temple had to pay a massive loan to Kuber, the god’s treasures which he took to pay his wedding expense. It is believed Lord Balaji is still paying the debt. The temple gets an annual donation of 650 crores and earns 11 million dollars by selling laddus. The entire value of the temple is 37,000 Crore and every year the donation of the temple is converted to gold bars for easy storage.
3. Shirdi Sai Baba Temple – Mumbai
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple located in Shirdi is the third richest temple in the country and it is one of the most pilgrimage sites in India. The temple is a beautiful shrine constructed in the year 1922. The temple is dedicated to Shri Sai Baba, who lived his life for poor people and took begging as a way to earn his daily expense and a mean of livelihood. But, today the idol of Baba is garnered with priceless jewelry and devotees from various regions visit the temple daily. The richest temple has gold and silver worth Rs 32 Crore and the annual donation of Sai Baba Temple is around Rs 360 Crore.
4. Siddhivinayak Temple – Mumbai
Siddhivinayak temple is one of the most famous temples in Mumbai, devoted to Lord Ganesha. Once it used to be a small structure is today’s richest temple in Mumbai. The annual income of the temple ranges from Rs 48 Crore to Rs 125 Crore. The main shrine of Ganesha is coated with 3.7 kg gold. It is an important place to visit during Ganesh Chaturthi.
5. Golden Temple – Punjab
The Golden Temple, the name itself reflects the sense of wealth. The religious worship place located in Amritsar is adorned with precious gold and silver and the temple attracts tourists from all parts of the world. The temple’s canopy is made of gold and the altar which holy book of Guru Granth Sahib is placed is studded with precious stones. The huge temple epitomizes the culture of Sikhs. There is a museum opposite the temple that explains the entire story of Sikh. The charismatic golden shrine at night and its architectural beauty attract many worshippers and tourists across the globe. The temple provides free food to more than 10,000 people every day.
6. Meenakshi Temple – Madurai
The rock temple is dedicated to Lord Meenakshi and the worship place is famous for its remarkable architecture. It is one of the biggest temples in Tamil Nadu and every year 25,000 people visit during the special festival season. The temple has a net worth of INR 6 Crores. The temple enshrines around 33,000 sculptures and there are 14 gopurams in the temple that vary in height. The temple has two golden carts that enhance the magnificence of the Hindu shrine.
7. Vaishno Devi Temple – Jammu
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is also known as Mata Rani and the temple is dedicated to Hindu Goddess. The temple is recognized as one of the 51 Shakhti Peeths of India. The temple is located at a height of 5300 feet above sea level. The worship place is linked with Lord Shiva’s mythology and thousands of devotees visit this temple every year. The net worth of this temple is around INR 500 Crores. It is claimed Vaishno Devi is the second most visited temple in India after Tirupathi.
8. Sabarimala Temple – Kerala
Sabarimala temple is located on a small hill at an altitude of 468 m, and Lord Ayyappan is worshipped there. The distinctive feature of the temple is that not everyone can enter inside it. Women aged from 10 to 55 years are restricted to enter the temple. He or she has to undergo 41 days of rituals to reach the main sanctum inside the temple. The temple receives 50 million pilgrims every year. The net worth of the temple is INR 245 Crores. The offerings by the devotees are one of the sources of income of the temple.
9. Jagannath Temple – Puri
The ancient temple of Lord Vishnu is an important pilgrimage destination for devotees and the temple is a part of Char Dham pilgrimage. It is one of the ancient temples located in Puri of Orissa where you will find a large crown during the Rath Yatra festival. The entire worth of the temple is expected to be more than INR 150 Crores. The temple is constructed based on traditional Odisha architecture. There are 5 underground chambers inside the temple which is still unopened and no one has an idea of how much-hidden treasures are there. The temple receives donations around Rs 15,000 to 20,000 and sometimes more during the festive season.
10. Guruvayurappan Temple – Guruvayoor
The Guruvayurappan Temple is located at Guruvayoor in Thrissur District, Kerala and the temple is considered to be the Dwaraka of South India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna, worshipped in the baby form. It is believed the temple has some healing power. Devotees should follow strict dress code to enter inside the temple. The entire asset of the temple is considered to be 2,500 Crores. More than 50,000 devotees visit the temple daily.
11. Somnath Temple – Gujarat
Somnath temple is one of the oldest and most revered worship places located near Veraval in Gujarat. The important pilgrimage spot is the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. The tomb of the temple is 150m high and architecture is the main attraction of this worship place. Many masterpieces were destroyed and robbed by the invaders earlier. The temple attracts millions of tourists every year. The net worth of the temple is considered to be INR 11 Crores. The richest temple has an annual revenue of Rs 33 Crore.
12. Kashi Vishwanath Temple – Varanasi
Varanasi is a destination full of temples and the main temple of the city is located on the banks of River Ganga. It is one of the oldest temples of Lord Shiva. The interior is similar to that of Rameshwaram temple in South India. As per mythology, a dip in Ganges and prayer in the temple will help you attain eternal salvation. The temple has a net worth of INR 6 Crores. The annual donation to Kashi Vishwanath is around 4 to 5 Crores. Out of the three domes, two domes of the temple are gold plated. More than 3 million domestic and foreign tourist visits the temple every year.