According to Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman and former Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, the temple recorded Rs 182 crore in donations this year, compared with Rs 137 crore last year and Rs 104 crore in 2022-23.
Published: August 8, 2026, 1:08 PM IST
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a detailed investigation into the donation collections of Mumbai’s famous Siddhivinayak TempleOfficials have been asked to check the temple’s donation records for the last five years and find out why there were major changes in the amount collected during this periodThe chief minister has also asked for the report to be submitted at the earliestThe decision came after representatives of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust met Fadnavis and presented details of the temple’s donation collections from 2023 to 2026.
The issue has gained attention after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray alleged that around Rs18 crore was being siphoned off every year from the temple’s donationsThe allegation has not yet been established by the ongoing investigation.
Nine temple employees arrested
The controversy also involves temple employees accused of taking money from donation boxes.
According to the temple trust, nine employees were caught and action was taken against them after officials noticed suspected irregularitiesPolice were later approached in connection with the matter.
Sada Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, said the trust noticed that donation collections increased significantly after action was taken against the employeesHe said weekly collections that had earlier been around Rs50 lakh later rose to between Rs75 lakh and Rs95 lakhDuring periods of heavy footfall, the collections reportedly touched around Rs1.5 crore.
Sarvankar has also said that the trust found cases where devotees allegedly paid money directly to priests or others instead of putting it into the donation boxThe trust subsequently reminded staff and priests that such money should also be deposited in the donation boxes.
Shinde had earlier sought inquiry
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had earlier called for an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities.
The latest probe ordered by Fadnavis will examine the temple’s donation records over five years and try to determine whether the changes in collections were caused by theft, administrative problems or other failures in the system.
The temple trust has said that it itself wanted an official investigation after noticing differences in the collection figures.
According to Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman and former Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, the temple recorded Rs 182 crore in donations this year, compared with Rs 137 crore last year and Rs 104 crore in 2022-23.
(With PTI inputs)
