12 Richest Temples in India, Famous For Their Immense Wealth
On June 02, 2023India has many monuments that offer glimpses into India's splendid past. They include many temples whose stories are connected to the amazing history of India. Indian temples are famous for their architectural beauty, and they also offer rich insights into the history of different eras. Some among them are also the richest temples in India. This article is about such temples.
Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple
One of the wealthiest temples in India, it stands on the 7th peak of the Venkata Tirumala Hill. It is a very famous and ancient pilgrimage site. It lies to the south of the Puskarini River. Built in the traditional Dravidian style of architecture, it has an 8 feet tall statue of Venkateshwara. The statue is under the dome, Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana, which is gilded with gold. A tilak of camphor covers the idol's eyes, and precious and semi-precious stones adorn the idol. Devotees first visit the temple of Varahaswami before visiting this temple, as per tradition.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands in the heart of the city of Thiruvananthapuram. This temple enshrines Vishnu as the main deity. The erstwhile royal family of Travancore manages its affairs. It is in the Dravidian style. The idol of Vishnu is in a reclining position here. He lies on Anantha, the divine serpent. The city got its name from this temple. The temple’s assets come to around 90,000 crores, including gold, gold idols, antique silver, diamonds, emeralds, and brass. The collection also features 2 golden coconut shells encrusted with precious stones. The temple is one of the richest temples in India.
Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai
This temple is in Maharashtra. Siddhivinayak temple enshrines the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. What was once a small brick structure is today one of the richest temples in India and the richest in Mumbai. There is a small mandap here with a shrine for Siddhi Vinayak. The sanctum’s wooden doors have carvings of the Ashtavinayak (the 8 manifestations of Ganesha). The inner roof has gold plating, and the central statue is that of Ganesha. This is one of the richest temples in India.
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi
Sai Baba temple is in Shirdi, Maharashtra. The temple was constructed in the year 1922. Shirdi Sai Baba temple is roughly 296 km from Mumbai. Also, this temple is the third richest temple in India.
Golden Temple, Amritsar
Golden Temple is a massive temple that embodies the history, religion, and culture of the Sikh community. Its original name was Sri Harmandir Sahib. The upper floors are built using 400 kg of gold; hence the name, 'Golden Temple'. One can find the holy book of Sikhism, 'Guru Granth Sahib,' here. It is certainly one of the richest temples in India and the most important spiritual site for Sikhs. Its architecture is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. The temple is arguably one of the richest temples in India.
Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
Around 20 to 30 thousand devotees visit this temple daily. It earns revenue of approximately 60 million each year, making it one of the richest temples in India. It has around 33,000 sculptures within its premises. The main deity here is Goddess Meenakshi, the consort of Sundareshwar (Shiva). There are 14 gopurams here, with heights ranging from 45 and 50 meters. There are also two golden carts, which enhance the temple’s beauty.
Somnath Temple, Gujarat
Mahmud of Ghazni raided and looted the temple 17 times for its wealth! The temple still has enough wealth to make it one among the richest temples in India. This intricately carved temple is supposedly the spot where the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas appeared in India. The temple stands at the confluence of the Kapila, Hiran, and Sarasvati rivers. As per myth, Somraj (the moon god) first built a temple here made of gold; Ravana rebuilt it using silver. Krishna rebuilt it using wood, and later Bhimdev, who used stone.
Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Kerala
This temple sees at least 100 million devotees every year, probably the highest number for any temple in India. The temple stands on a hilltop at a height of 4,133 feet above sea level. Mountains and dense forests encircle it. Its revenue during pilgrimage season is around Rs. 230 crores. Thus, it is one of the richest temples in India.
Jagannath Temple, Puri
According to a 2010 report, the bank deposit of this temple was more than 150 crore. Around 30,000 devotees visit it everyday. The number goes up to 70,000 per day during the festive season. Once, the temple received 1.72 crore rupees from a European devotee.
Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi
Akshardham Temple is renowned for its architecture. There is a golden idol of Swaminarayan here. The temple holds the Guinness record for the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the world. It is also a spiritual-cultural campus.
Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu
Vaishno Devi Temple is also one of the richest temples in India. The shrine attracts a lot of pilgrims. Its yearly income is around Rs. 500 crore. Around 8 million pilgrims visit the temple every year. It is located in Katra, Reasi, on the slopes of Trikuta Hills in Jammu & Kashmir. Shakta traditions consider it as one of the 52 major Shakti Peethas of Durga. Hindus believe that Vaishno Devi is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
Kashi Vishwanath Temple was looted many times, yet it has managed to retain its glory as a major Hindu temple. The annual donation here comes to around Rs. 4-5 crore, which makes it one of the richest temples in India. Of the 3 domes in this temple, 2 are gold-plated. The temple enshrines Shiva. It is one among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines or sacred abodes of Shiva. In ancient times, Varanasi was called Kashi ("shining"), so the temple is called Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple
One of the wealthiest temples in India, it stands on the 7th peak of the Venkata Tirumala Hill. It is a very famous and ancient pilgrimage site. It lies to the south of the Puskarini River. Built in the traditional Dravidian style of architecture, it has an 8 feet tall statue of Venkateshwara. The statue is under the dome, Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana, which is gilded with gold. A tilak of camphor covers the idol's eyes, and precious and semi-precious stones adorn the idol. Devotees first visit the temple of Varahaswami before visiting this temple, as per tradition.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple stands in the heart of the city of Thiruvananthapuram. This temple enshrines Vishnu as the main deity. The erstwhile royal family of Travancore manages its affairs. It is in the Dravidian style. The idol of Vishnu is in a reclining position here. He lies on Anantha, the divine serpent. The city got its name from this temple. The temple’s assets come to around 90,000 crores, including gold, gold idols, antique silver, diamonds, emeralds, and brass. The collection also features 2 golden coconut shells encrusted with precious stones. The temple is one of the richest temples in India.
Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai
This temple is in Maharashtra. Siddhivinayak temple enshrines the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. What was once a small brick structure is today one of the richest temples in India and the richest in Mumbai. There is a small mandap here with a shrine for Siddhi Vinayak. The sanctum’s wooden doors have carvings of the Ashtavinayak (the 8 manifestations of Ganesha). The inner roof has gold plating, and the central statue is that of Ganesha. This is one of the richest temples in India.
Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Shirdi
Sai Baba temple is in Shirdi, Maharashtra. The temple was constructed in the year 1922. Shirdi Sai Baba temple is roughly 296 km from Mumbai. Also, this temple is the third richest temple in India.
Golden Temple, Amritsar
Golden Temple is a massive temple that embodies the history, religion, and culture of the Sikh community. Its original name was Sri Harmandir Sahib. The upper floors are built using 400 kg of gold; hence the name, 'Golden Temple'. One can find the holy book of Sikhism, 'Guru Granth Sahib,' here. It is certainly one of the richest temples in India and the most important spiritual site for Sikhs. Its architecture is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styles. The temple is arguably one of the richest temples in India.
Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
Around 20 to 30 thousand devotees visit this temple daily. It earns revenue of approximately 60 million each year, making it one of the richest temples in India. It has around 33,000 sculptures within its premises. The main deity here is Goddess Meenakshi, the consort of Sundareshwar (Shiva). There are 14 gopurams here, with heights ranging from 45 and 50 meters. There are also two golden carts, which enhance the temple’s beauty.
Somnath Temple, Gujarat
Mahmud of Ghazni raided and looted the temple 17 times for its wealth! The temple still has enough wealth to make it one among the richest temples in India. This intricately carved temple is supposedly the spot where the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas appeared in India. The temple stands at the confluence of the Kapila, Hiran, and Sarasvati rivers. As per myth, Somraj (the moon god) first built a temple here made of gold; Ravana rebuilt it using silver. Krishna rebuilt it using wood, and later Bhimdev, who used stone.
Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Kerala
This temple sees at least 100 million devotees every year, probably the highest number for any temple in India. The temple stands on a hilltop at a height of 4,133 feet above sea level. Mountains and dense forests encircle it. Its revenue during pilgrimage season is around Rs. 230 crores. Thus, it is one of the richest temples in India.
Jagannath Temple, Puri
According to a 2010 report, the bank deposit of this temple was more than 150 crore. Around 30,000 devotees visit it everyday. The number goes up to 70,000 per day during the festive season. Once, the temple received 1.72 crore rupees from a European devotee.
Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi
Akshardham Temple is renowned for its architecture. There is a golden idol of Swaminarayan here. The temple holds the Guinness record for the largest comprehensive Hindu temple in the world. It is also a spiritual-cultural campus.
Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu
Vaishno Devi Temple is also one of the richest temples in India. The shrine attracts a lot of pilgrims. Its yearly income is around Rs. 500 crore. Around 8 million pilgrims visit the temple every year. It is located in Katra, Reasi, on the slopes of Trikuta Hills in Jammu & Kashmir. Shakta traditions consider it as one of the 52 major Shakti Peethas of Durga. Hindus believe that Vaishno Devi is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
Kashi Vishwanath Temple was looted many times, yet it has managed to retain its glory as a major Hindu temple. The annual donation here comes to around Rs. 4-5 crore, which makes it one of the richest temples in India. Of the 3 domes in this temple, 2 are gold-plated. The temple enshrines Shiva. It is one among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines or sacred abodes of Shiva. In ancient times, Varanasi was called Kashi ("shining"), so the temple is called Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
