Bhubaneswar: The state government today revealed that the Jagannath temple at Odisha’s Puri town has received over Rs 100 crore as donations in the last three financial years.

The Puri Jagannath temple has received Rs 113.02 crore as donations from 2021-22 fiscal to 2023-24 fiscal, said Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan while replying to a query of Champua MLA Sanatan Mahakud in the Assembly.

According to the minister, the 12th century shrine received the donations through Hundi (donation boxes), bank accounts and other mediums from the devotees.

The Jagannath temple got Rs 17.31 crore as donations in 2021-22 financial year while the figure was Rs 50.80 crore in 2022-23 fiscal. The shrine received donations to the tune of Rs 44.90 crore in 2023-24 financial year, revealed the data furnished by the minister in the House.

As per the data, the Jagannath temple has received Rs 40.61 crore from the donation boxes (Hundi) in the last three financial years.

The figure was Rs 59.79 crore from bank accounts and Rs 12.60 crore through other mediums.

The data further revealed that Jagannath temple received Rs 8.23 crore from donation boxes installed on the shrine premises and other places in 2021-22 fiscal. The figure was Rs 15.46 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 16.92 crore in 2023-24 financial year.

Donations through bank accounts were estimated to be Rs 6.83 crore in 2021-22 fiscal. The figure was Rs 30.72 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 22.24 crore in 2023-24 fiscal.

The shrine received Rs 2.25 crore as donations through other mediums in 2021-22 financial year. The figure was Rs 4.62 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 5.73 crore in 2023-24 fiscal, said the data.

Earlier, Mahakud, a BJD MLA, sought to know details regarding the donations received by various shrines in the state, including the Jagannath temple, in last three years.

In his reply, the minister provided data for the Jagannath temple and informed the House that the same for other shrines in the state is being compiled.

Replying to query of Jaleswar BJD MLA Aswini Kumar Patra, the minister informed the Assembly that the Jagannath temple received Rs 33.02 crore as revenue from its landed properties in 2023-24 financial year.

The shrine has 60,426 acres of land in 24 districts of Odisha. Besides, it owns 395 acres of land outside the state, said the minister.