Patna Mahavir temple boosts security in the wake of the Ram Mandir theft case.

After Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft case, Patna temple tightens security

Patna's Mahavir Temple has tightened donation counting security with CCTV and stricter access rules. The move aims to boost transparency after the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Mahavir Temple in Patna has increased security for donation counting
  • Six CCTV cameras now monitor the counting room
  • Cash is counted and sealed before bank officials twice a week

In the wake of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir theft case, the Mahavir Temple in Patna has heightened security around its donation counting process.

The temple trust has introduced additional surveillance, stricter protocols and monthly financial reviews to ensure greater transparency.

Saayan Kunal, member secretary of the Shri Mahavir Mandir Nyas Samiti, said the temple has expanded CCTV coverage inside the donation counting room and tightened access to the restricted area.

"Now, there are a total of six CCTV cameras in the donation counting room. Cash is manually sorted, counted, packed, and sealed in front of the bank officials every Wednesday and Thursday," Kunal said.

He added that the temple has also retained its practice of requiring personnel involved in the counting process to wear clothes without pockets, which are provided by the temple administration, to prevent any possibility of mishandling cash.

Explaining the reason for the enhanced measures, Kunal said the changes were introduced after the alleged theft of devotees' offerings at another prominent temple.

"The managing committee has also decided to conduct a monthly review of devotees' offerings. A dedicated CA has been appointed exclusively for this purpose. All these measures are being taken as preventive steps to ensure that no irregularities occur," he said.

According to the temple trust, Mahavir Temple receives annual donations ranging between Rs 4 crore and Rs 6 crore.

During the 2025-26 financial year, offerings totalled Rs 5.93 crore.

Kunal said the temple follows a defined protocol under which donation boxes are opened in the presence of members of the managing committee and designated staff before the cash is shifted to a transparent counting centre for processing.

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