Top 11 temples in Karnataka earn Rs 602 cr in 2025-26, up Rs 45 cr year after year

Eleven major temples under the state’s endowment (Muzrai) department have collected over Rs 602 crore in donations in the 2025-26 financial year, nearly Rs 45 crore more than the previous year. After all expenditures, the temples have saved Rs 70.43 crore.

Kukke Subrahmanya temple in Dakshina Kannada district continues to get the highest collection among all temples, with Rs 168 crore, nearly
Rs 12 crore more than the previous.

Of the Rs 168 crore collected from devotees, the temple management has spent Rs 85 crore on various rituals, salaries of staff and maintenance of temple.

Male Mahadeshwara temple in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district received the second highest donations in the state with Rs 118 crore.

However, this is slightly lower than the previous year’s collection of Rs 123 crore. The trustees of the temple have spent Rs 16 crore of the total collection this year.

Except Male Mahadeshwara temple, all others attached to the Muzrai department have received higher donations than the previous year.

Karnataka has 205 grade-A temples (whose annual income is above Rs 25 lakh), 193 grade-B temples (annual income above Rs 5 lakh) and 34,168 grade-C temples with annual income less than Rs five lakh.

Nagaratna Cholin, Muzrai department tahsildar at Renukadevi Yellamma temple, which received the fifth highest donations this year, says implementation of free bus service for women (Shakti scheme) had vastly increased the footfall at the temple.

“Earlier, only one section of people used to visit this temple. However, after the implementation of the Shakti scheme, people from across the society are coming to the temple. As most of the women are benefiting from free bus service, they are using the money saved to give offerings to the deity,” she said.

Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy told DH that all donations to the temples were spent on overall development and rituals of the temples. Not a single paisa from these temples was spent for any other purposes, he said.