Amid Ayodhya donation row, Mahavir Mandir tightens security for transparent offering counts.

In light of the suspected misappropriation of devotees' contributions at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, security has been increased at the esteemed Mahavir Temple in Patna to provide better transparency in the donation counting process, a managing committee member said on Tuesday.

According to Saayan Kunal, member secretary of the Shri Mahavir Mandir Nyas Samiti, "the donation counting room has been placed under CCTV surveillance, and personnel assigned to the monitoring room have been instructed to ensure that no unauthorized individuals enter the restricted area during the counting process."The donation counting room now has six CCTV cameras in total. Every Wednesday and Thursday, cash is manually processed, counted, packed, and sealed in front of bank authorities,"

Additionally, the temple's SOP for cash counting requires participants to adhere to a dress code. They must dress without pockets. The administration of the temple provides these garments," he stated.

Following the "alleged theft of devotees' offerings at a temple in the country," Kunal stated that a number of strict security procedures were implemented to guarantee better transparency in the donation counting process. Additionally, the managing committee has chosen to analyze the offerings made by devotees once a month. For this purpose alone, a dedicated CA has been appointed.
An estimated Rs 4 crore to Rs 6 crore is donated to the shrine each year. According to Kunal, the entire amount collected for the 2025–2026 fiscal year was Rs 5.93 crore. The donation boxes are opened in front of the temple's management committee members and assigned support personnel in accordance with the set procedure. After that, the money is sent to a transparent counting facility, he stated.

Additionally, the temple trust is constructing a "Ramayana Temple" in the Champaran district's Kalyanpur block, where the enormous Shiva Lingam was been erected.

According to Kunal, son of the late Acharya Kishor Kunal, the complex will feature 18 towers and 22 temples devoted to various deities, with the main temple standing 270 feet tall.
According to him, it took 45 days to transport the Shiva Lingam from Tamil Nadu to Motihari via Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.