The income of Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills near here has registered a significant increase over the last three years.
According to a statement issued by Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, the temple’s total income between April to July when Ashada Shukravara’s (Fridays) are observed went up from ₹5.98 crore in 2015 to ₹7.86 crore during 2016 and reached ₹11.08 crore during 2017.
The total income includes the donations collected in the temple hundi and the temple income from various sources including pujas and offerings.
The hundi collection went up from ₹1.63 crore during the period between April and July 2015 to ₹3.51 crore during the corresponding period in 2016 before marginally increasing to ₹3.86 crore during the period in the ensuing year.
The temple income though marginally dipped from ₹4,35,29,205 during 2015 (April to July) to ₹4,35,08,507 during 2016, it went up significantly to ₹7.22 crore during 2017.
The Ashada hundi collection alone during 2017 was ₹1.74 crore, a statement from the Deputy Commissioner stated and added that the hundi counting was carried out on July 26 and 27.
It may be mentioned here that the road to Chamundi Hills witnesses a large volume of traffic, particularly during auspicious occasions and weekends.
During the Ashada Shukravaras, the administration had prohibited private vehicles on the road to Chamundi Hills and made alternative arrangements for their transport by KSRTC buses.
As traffic on the road to the hilltop becomes dense on auspicious days and weekends, chaos marks the last stretch of the road leading to the area around Mahisasura statue owing to haphazard parking.
Whenever the flow of traffic increases, the traffic police halts vehicles near the Mysuru City viewing point to prevent congestion at the hilltop. The halted vehicles are allowed to proceed only after sufficient parking space is created at the hilltop when the parked vehicles leave the area.