Now, book your temple poojas, sevas online

The State Endowment department, in association with the e-governance department, has launched online booking of temple services, including poojas and sevas, besides accommodation in temple choultries.

To start with, the services will be available in 10 temples and the department has plans to extend the same to 150 temples across the State in a phased manner.

Devotees can log on to BangaloreOne website - www.bangaloreone.gov.in - and book poojas, archanas, sevas, darshans, by making payment through debit/credit cards or net banking. Wherever available, rooms in temple choultries can also be booked online. The portal also allows devotees to make donations online.

Endowment Minister T B Jayachandra, who formally launched the services in Bengaluru on Thursday, said the e-services will help in curbing the menace of touts and middlemen, who, many a time, dupe devotees by promising them easier access to various sevas/darshans in temples.

Jayachandra became the first beneficiary of the e-service by booking a seva at Kolluru Mookambika temple. Besides offering e-services in 10 temples (see the box), online booking of accommodation can be made at Karnataka State Choultries at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, using the portal.

In all, around 150 ‘Category A’ temples (whose annual revenue is more than Rs 25 lakh per annum) will provide e-services in the coming months.  To ensure there is no unnecessary blocking of rooms, Jayachandra said once a person logs in, she or he can book only two rooms and only two days in advance.

Jayachandra said the department was also working on providing a platform for devotees to book prasadam online. The modalities are being worked out to send prasadam to the doorstep of devotees through courier.  The courier rates and the temples which would be offering postal prasadam are being worked out, he said.