Varanasi: At a time when the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya has sparked widespread debate over transparency in handling devotees’ offerings, an 80-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu has donated more than Rs 3 crore to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple through cheques, ensuring every contribution was officially acknowledged with receipts.The donation, made in memory of her late husband and two sons, is one of the largest recent contributions to a major temple in Uttar Pradesh.According to officials, the octogenarian first approached Varanasi divisional commissioner S Rajalingam to express her desire to make the donation. Although she was advised to hand over the amount directly to the temple authorities, she insisted on making the contribution only in the presence of the divisional commissioner.She arrived in Varanasi with her manager on July 12 and met Rajalingam. After learning about her intention, Rajalingam immediately called officials of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, before whom she handed over cheques totalling more than Rs 3 crore and obtained official receipts for the donations.Confirming the donation on Thursday, Rajalingam said the woman has made the contribution in memory of her late husband and two sons. Apart from supporting the temple’s Annakshetra (community kitchen), she also donated funds for the ‘Rudrabhishek’ to be performed for the next 25 years for the peace of her sons’ souls.According to temple officials, the donor contributed Rs 1 crore to the Annakshetra, Rs 1 crore each in memory of her two sons, and Rs 50,000 towards the ‘Rudrabhishek’ rituals.Officials said the woman requested that details about her family and her native district not be disclosed.After completing the donation, she offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and prayed for the eternal peace of her late family members.The donation comes amid heightened public scrutiny over the handling of temple offerings following the alleged donation theft at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, where an SIT probe is currently underway. Officials said the contribution is among the biggest donations made to a major temple in the state in recent times through cheques with official receipts issued to the donor.
