30 AUG, 2023
Sweta Gupta
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Atop Venkata Tirumala Hill, the Sri Venkateshwara Temple boasts ancient origins. With traditional Dravidian architecture, it features an 8-foot tall idol of Lord Venkateshwara under a gold-gilded Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana dome.
This temple shines as a Dravidian marvel. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, it's overseen by Travancore's former royal family. Valued at over Rs 90,000 crore, the collection flaunts gold, silver, gems, and even gem-studded coconut shells.
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In Maharashtra, the Siddhivinayak temple is a renowned Hindu site with Lord Ganesha's statue. Since the 1900s, pilgrims and tourists have flocked here. Once modest, it's now Mumbai's wealthiest temple, popular among devotees.
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Shirdi's Sai Baba temple, built in 1922, is a worldwide pilgrimage hub. Just 296 km from Mumbai, it's India's third richest temple, attracting millions daily of all beliefs. Devotees and tourists flock to find solace in Sai Baba's sanctum.
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Golden Temple, or Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a grand Sikh temple embodying Sikh history and culture. Adorned with 400 kg of gold on its upper floors, it's known as the "Golden Temple".
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With 20-30k daily devotees, it earns Rs 60 million per year, houses 33k sculptures, and venerates Goddess Meenakshi. 14 gopurams, 45-50 m tall, and golden carts amplify its allure.
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Looted and razed 17 times by Mahmud of Ghazni for its riches, this temple retains its opulence, earning a spot among India's richest. Unique architecture and strong religious significance define it.
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With around 100 million yearly visitors, Sabarimala Temple tops the devotion charts in India. Perched at 4,133 feet, it is surrounded by mountains and forests. The pilgrimage season has raked in Rs 230 crore.
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By 2010, the Jagannath Temple held Rs 150+ crore in bank deposits. During festivals, donations multiply sixfold, with daily visitors at 30k, spiking to 70k during festivities. A European devotee once gave Rs 1.72 crore to the temple.
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A gem of Delhi tourism, it draws massive crowds yearly. The gold Swaminarayan idol and leaf-covered Gurus add to its allure. It holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's largest Hindu temple.
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The sacred shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi beckons devotees year-round. Rooted in Hindu beliefs, it rakes in around Rs 500 crore annually, with 8 million pilgrims making it India's second most visited temple after Tirupati.
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Over 3 million locals and 2 lakh foreigners visit yearly. With donations totaling around Rs. 4-5 crore annually, it ranks among India's richest temples. Its trio of domes includes two gold-plated ones.
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