Rayagada: After a gap of nearly three months, the Hundi (a donation box) of Majhighariani temple in Rayagada town of this district was opened and donations given by devotees were counted today.

Cash of around Rs 68,74,140 was found in it, a member of the shrine’s managing committee informed.

The counting of donations to the presiding deity started at around 9.00 am and ended in the evening.

Along with the cash, 53 grams of gold, 1.797 kilograms of silver, and 16 foreign currency coins were found during the counting. The drive was undertaken in the presence of local tehsil and endowment officials and the temple managing committee members, amid tight security. Several men and women from voluntary organisations, students, and local residents took part in the counting exercise.

The collected valuables will be kept in safe custody at Union Bank in Rayadaga town, sources said

Worth mentioning, during the counting carried out on June 21, cash of Rs 58,24,950 was found in the Hundi along with 39 grams of gold, 1.650 kilograms of silver, and seven foreign currency coins.