This latest collection marks the largest recorded donations for the temple.
A 1kg gold biscuit, cash of over Rs 23 crore, a silver pistol and even silver handcuffs – the Sanwaliya Seth Temple in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh witnessed an unprecedented outpouring of donations.
The famous temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, revealed an overwhelming collection of offerings during the recent treasury census. The tally so far includes Rs 23 crore in cash, with the notable highlight being a 1 kg gold biscuit. Devotees have also donated smaller gold cookies, silver items and unique items such as a silver gun, a pure silver lock and key and whistles.
This latest collection marks the largest recorded donations for the temple.
The treasury of the temple, which was opened after an interval of two months, is being counted in several phases due to the huge number of donations.
In the first phase, Rs 11.34 crore was counted. The second phase amounted to Rs 3.60 crore. The third phase added Rs 4.27 crore to the total. Currently, the tally stands at Rs 19.22 crore in cash, while further phases are expected to be completed in the coming days. The weighing and valuing of gold and silver items collected from the donation boxes, online contributions and gift rooms continues.
The counting process conducted every month on the Amavasya (new moon) is expected to involve 6-7 phases this time.
Located on the Chittorgarh-Udaipur highway, about 40 kilometers from Chittorgarh, the Sanwaliya Seth Temple is an important shrine for Vaishnav devotees. The temple's origins date back to 1840 when a milkman, Bholaram Gurjar, reportedly had a divine dream in which he revealed the location of three buried idols of Lord Krishna in a village. Excavations revealed three idols which were subsequently installed at Mandaphiya, Bhadsoda and Chapar. The Mandaphiya Temple is now the center of this triad, commonly called Shri Sanwaliya Dham.
Over the years, the temple has become one of the most revered pilgrimage sites after Nathdwara among the Vaishnav followers. According to local beliefs, the famous Hindu poet and mystic Meerabai also prayed in this temple.
