According to officials, the temple received income from multiple sources, including donation boxes, online payments, rituals, the sale of prasad and auctioning of gold and silver.
A temple trust official said the sale of laddoos and nariyal vadi (a crunchy coconut treat with a sugary rush) jumped by 32 per cent compared to the previous financial year (2023-24). The temple trust distributes about 10,000 laddoos to devotees every day.
“In fiscal 2024-25, the temple administration earned a record-breaking income of Rs 1.33 crore from the auction of gold and silver on Gudhi Padva compared to Rs 75 lakh earned in the previous year’s Gudhi Padva,” the official said.
Veena Patil, Chief Executive Officer of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Mandir Trust, said the rise in devotees and administrative reforms mainly boosted the earnings.
She said the temple trust has estimated earnings of 154 crore in the current financial year. According to Patil, 20 per cent of the overall earnings are spent on providing medical aid and other facilities, including financial assistance to patients suffering from 18 types of diseases, and operating a dialysis centre. The temple management provides a book bank facility for college students and a study room in the trust’s building adjacent to the temple. The trust also funds the education of children of farmers who have committed suicide.
“We ensure that offerings and donations are channelled back to the society for the welfare of people,” Patil said.