'Earlier, people used to hand money directly to priests after a ritual, and priests would keep it in their own pockets. We completely stopped that practice.'
- Weekly, transparent counting: Donations at Siddhivinayak Temple are counted every Wednesday and deposited in the bank the same day, with expenses (including staff salaries) capped at 10% of collections.
- Sharp rise in collections: Weekly donations have jumped from roughly Rs 40 lakh to Rs 45 lakh to Rs 95 lakh to Rs 98 lakh after the trust closed several procedural loopholes.
- Competitive, monitored auditor selection: Auditors and bank deposit rates are chosen via a sealed-envelope, lowest-bidder (L1) tender process conducted under CCTV, with three ministry-appointed officers overseeing operations.
- Crackdown on malpractice: The trust ended the practice of devotees handing cash directly to priests, filed police cases against touts running fake VIP-darshan scams, and now separately logs and values any gold or jewelry donations.
In recent months, temple donation management has come under intense public scrutiny. The alleged 'chadhava chori' at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir -- where a Special Investigation Team flagged dozens of suspicious pilferage incidents at cash-counting counters -- has triggered a national conversation about accountability, oversight, and the sheer scale of unaccounted wealth flowing through India's temple trusts.
Against this backdrop, questions about how India's richest and most-visited shrines safeguard devotee offerings have taken on new urgency.
Mumbai's Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust, one of the country's most prominent religious institutions, offers a case study in how such systems can be tightened. Since July 2023, the Trust has been chaired by former Shiv Sena MLA Sadanand Sarwankar, whose position carries the rank of minister of state.
Under his leadership, the board says it has spent the past year-and-a-half auditing internal processes, plugging procedural gaps, and introducing stricter checks -- from CCTV-monitored counting rooms to curbs on cash handling by temple staff.
The results, Sarwankar says, speak for themselves: Weekly collections, once averaging Rs 40 lakh to Rs 45 lakh, have more than doubled to Rs 95 lakh to Rs 98 lakh in recent weeks.
In this interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff, Sarwankar walks us through exactly how the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati temple counts, banks, and accounts for every rupee devotees donate.
"My goal is for people across the country to know that such clean, transparent governance exists here, so it can be a model for other temples too."
'Wherever we find gaps, we implement immediate corrections'
You have been chairman of the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple Trust since July 2023. How is money counted at the Trust, how are donations collected, and how are receipts issued? Why has no malpractice ever been found here?
In our trust, money is counted in a highly transparent manner once a week -- every Wednesday -- and is deposited into the bank on the very same day.
Generally, we follow a policy where expenses must not exceed 10% of the total amount collected in the donation box, and the monthly staff salaries are also covered within this 10%.
We count the money every week. Previously, weekly collections were around Rs 40 lakhs to Rs 45 lakhs, but over the past 8-9 weeks this has risen significantly to Rs 95 lakhs to Rs 98 lakhs per week.
Over the last two years we've identified loopholes in the system and taken corrective measures, and wherever we find gaps, we implement immediate corrections.
So the amount has increased that much within just a few weeks?
Yes, it has increased a lot.
It's heartwarming that people still donate with absolute faith, and that you're closing loopholes to stay compliant with government regulations.
Yes, our audits are conducted properly. We appoint an auditor through a tender, and the lowest bidder is awarded the contract. Previously, annual collection was Rs 120 crore; it has now increased to Rs 182 crore -- and it will increase further, because we've eliminated the shortcomings that existed earlier.
Is the tendering process for appointing auditors completely transparent?
Yes, entirely. The contract always goes to the lowest bidder. We hold a deposit of around Rs 700 crore to Rs 800 crore, and the interest earned is transferred directly to the bank.
We send official letters to 12 nationalised banks -- for example, asking how much interest they'd offer on a Rs 50 crore deposit for a year. Bank representatives then present sealed-envelope proposals before us. The room has CCTV, and our officers and I are present when the envelopes are opened.
How are auditors actually selected?
We issue a proper advertisement. Out of 10-20 applications received, the most eligible lowest bidder is selected. Every tender has specific conditions -- such as years of experience and prior work history -- and a decision is made only after reviewing all of this. Anyone who doesn't meet the criteria isn't awarded the work.
'Transparent governance exists here, so it can be a model for other temples too'
How is this audit process overseen by the state administration?
Honestly, the entire system is run by the law and judiciary department of the Maharashtra government (external link).
Three ministry officers are stationed with us -- our CEO and two assistants -- and no individual trustee has personal say or involvement. When we noticed declining competition in certain areas, we revised the terms and conditions to encourage it, but all such terms fall strictly under the department.
Are the CEO and assistants directly appointed by the ministry?
Yes, they act as ministry representatives responsible for ensuring smooth operations. Whenever we notice something that needs improvement, we inform them and get it rectified. This close supervision is exactly why the temple's income has increased.
What precautions are taken while counting the money?
The bank vehicle comes downstairs, bank officials are present, and our staff is there too. Cameras are installed where the money is counted, and some trustees are also present during the process -- so it's carried out in front of everyone.
My goal is for people across the country to know that such clean, transparent governance exists here, so it can be a model for other temples too.
How are gold, jewelry, or items like a gold crown -- donated by devotees fulfilling a vow -- recorded?
Some people drop gold directly into the donation box; while counting the box, any gold or valuable item is separated out. For devotees who directly donate an item like a crown, it is weighed, its value calculated, a proper receipt issued, and the entry recorded.
'We noticed certain loopholes and made the necessary corrections'
Is this recorded every week?
Yes, exactly.
Do you make this annual report or booklet available to the public?
Yes, but the public trusts us so much that no one has ever actually asked to see it.
What is the primary reason no financial irregularity has ever occurred at this trust? How is such strict vigilance maintained?
Absolutely no malpractice has occurred. Let me give a small example of a day-to-day transaction issue: Earlier, people used to hand money directly to priests after a ritual, and priests would keep it in their own pockets. We completely stopped that practice.
There were also touts outside the temple tricking people over VIP darshan -- we filed police cases against them, and took strict disciplinary action against complicit staff. It's because of these strict decisions that this has become possible.
So you've eliminated all these loopholes in recent times?
Yes, we've introduced all these changes over the past year-and-a-half. The first six months were spent purely understanding the existing system; now we're working on further improvements to the temple administration.
But ultimate control lies completely with the government -- even a gift has to follow established rules.
As part of our social responsibility, we provide medical aid to underprivileged patients by issuing cheques directly in the hospital's name; around 500 to 800 needy people come seeking assistance every day. While doing this work too, we noticed certain loopholes and made the necessary corrections.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
