Bengaluru: The Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government has implemented the ‘Shakthi’ scheme after coming to power. The scheme allows women to travel free of cost in Government buses in Karnataka. Taking advantage of this, women are visiting major temples in the state. This has resulted in huge donations to the temples.
A large number of women devotees are visiting the temples during the month of Ashadha through free travel. In this context, there has been a huge increase in the hundi collection of major temples in State.
The hundi counting was held at the famous Nanjanagudu Srikanteshwara Temple. More than 100 women from various self-help groups helped in the counting process. The hundi collection of the temple has reached Rs. 1.77 Crore this season.
Similarly, the hundi collection of the famous Yellamma Temple at Savadatti in Belagavi District is also going on at a brisk pace. Between May 17 and June 30, Rs. 1.37 Crore was deposited in the hundis of the temple.
It is said that a large number of women devotees are flocking to the temple after the Shakti scheme has been launched. The donations from the temple hundi will be used for infrastructure development, including construction of ring road, bus stand, said department sources.
Kukke Subrahmanya Temple Hundi in Kadaba Taluk collected Rs. 3,03,48,146 for the month of June. Dakshina Kannada Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. G. Santhosh Kumar said there was an increase of Rs. 84,55,342 as compared to May. In May, a sum of Rs. 2,14,92,804 was collected at Kukke Subrahmanya temple.
Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple officials also said that there has been an increase in hundi collection. In Kolar District, famous temples such as Kolaramma Temple, Mulabagalu Kurudumale Sri Vinayaka Temple, Mulabagalu Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Chikka Tirupati and other temples are flooded with women devotees.