Most Richest Temples of India Which You Should Absolutely Visit

India has always been known as a land of riches possessing great wealth. That richness can be seen, among many other things, in its incredible historical and religious structures, most of which are dressed in grandeur and opulence. An example of these religious structures are the temples. All throughout her history, India has been blessed with grand temples which are not just magnificent in their architecture but are dressed in splendor and grandeur. Visiting such temples can be such an incredible experience. One is reminded of the intense devotion that drives people to build such magnificent temples. This blog tells you the most revered and richest temples in India which you should visit at least once in your lifetime.

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala

Location: W Nada, East Fort, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the richest temples in the country and consists of enormous wealth, most of it in gold and diamond. It is believed that the shrine of Lord Padmanabhaswamy boasts a wealth of around $ 20 billion in six vaults of gold. What is also worth noting is the fact that the golden idol of Mahavishnu housed inside the temple, is alone worth Rs. 500 crore. Among the many treasures contained inside the temple are golden crowns, golden bow, sack full of diamonds and antique gold ornaments, among others. If those numbers look startling, hold on. The gold necklace which adorns the deity is believed to be around 18ft long and 2.5kg heavy.

Shirdi Saibaba Shrine, Mumbai

Location: Shirdi in Rahata Taluka of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra
Sai Baba has an enormous following in India, and several temples have been built in his name. One of these is the Shirdi Saibaba Shrine in Mumbai, considered to be one of the richest temples in India. It receives enormous donations from people all over the country and that is one of the reasons why it has grown to be the third richest temple in India. People belonging to all religions visit this temple to seek blessings. As for its immense wealth, the temple possesses gold and silver jewelry around Rs. 32 crore along with silver coins worth more than Rs. 6 lakh. As said, donations make up a large part of the temple, with the amount adding up to nearly around Rs. 360 core.

Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Location: S Mada Street, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Until recently, it was Tirumala Tirupati that was regarded as the richest temple in the country. However, that record is now held by the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. However, when it comes to receiving a large number of devotees, Tirumala Tirupati stands second to none. It is estimated that the temple receives around 60,000 devotees on a regular basis. Lord Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the temple, and is always adorned with almost 100kg of gold. Tirumala Tirupati is also extremely famous for its laddu, and the earnings of it comes to around 11 million dollars, with the numbers usually increasing year after year.

Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai

Location: SK Bole Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra
What, according to you, would be the assets of a temple which is visited by around 25 thousand to around 2 lakh people on a regular basis? Well, this famous temple in Maharashtra is believed to receive charities amounting to almost Rs. 48 crore to Rs. 125 crore on an annual basis. The dome of the temple, an incredibly beautiful structure, is coated with 3.7kg of gold. The Siddhivinayak Temple houses a black stone idol of Lord Ganesh which, it is believed, is around 200 years old. In the year 1990, the temple was converted to a six storied building.

Vaishno Devi Temple, Jammu

Location: Katra, Jammu and Kashmir
Vaishno Devi Temple, located in Katra in Jammu, is visited by millions of devotees from all around the world every year. It is highly revered both for its significance as a religious destination and also for the pristine surroundings in which it is located. It is said that the temple receives an annual income of around Rs. 500 crore. At the same time, it is estimated that the temple is visited by around 8 million pilgrims, thus making it the second most visited temple in India after Tirupati.

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Location: Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu is as famous as any other on this list. It receives around 20,000-30,000 on a regular basis. Inside the temple premises, there are around 33,000 sculptures in its premises. The main deity of the temple is Goddess Meenakshi, the wife of Sundareshwar (Shiva). Inside the temple, there are around 14 gopurams, each of whose height varies from 45-50m. Two golden vimanas are also housed inside the temple. These enhance the aesthetic dimensions of the temple in an enormous way.

Golden Temple, Amritsar

Location: Amritsar, Punjab
Golden Temple in Amritsar is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Sikhs all around the world. However, anybody, irrespective of their religion and race, can enter the temple with faith, good will and devotion. The Golden Temple in Amritsar is famous for its charismatic golden shrine which is adorned with gold and silver detailing. When the temple is illuminated at night, its dome looks spectacularly beautiful. The holy book of Sikhism, Guru Granth Sahib, is placed on the altar which is beautified with precious diamonds and bright stones.

Jagannath Temple, Puri

Location: Grand Road, Puri, Odisha
Jagannath Temple in Puri in Odisha is always a part of any Hindu pilgrimage destination and can be visited by the Char Dham yatra package. It is also visited in large numbers every year. In a report published in 2010, it was estimated that the bank deposits of Lord Jagannath was around Rs. 150 crore. The temple receives donations around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000, and that number increases significantly in the festive season. On a regular basis, however, the temple is visited by more than 3,000 devotees and around 70,000 per day in the festive season. This temple also made headlines once when a European devotee donated Rs. 1.72 crore to the temple through the State Bank of India.

Somnath Temple, Gujarat

Location: Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, Gujarat
Somnath Temple in Gujarat holds immense emotional appeal for the people of India. This is because it was attacked around 17 times by Muhammad Ghazni and his band of attackers looking for the gold and silver repository. To this day, Somnath Temple possess enormous assets, quite enough to be called one of the richest temples in India.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is one of the most revered travel destinations in the country. Despite being looted and demolished several times over the centuries, it still stands proudly in all its glory and magnificence. According to one estimate, the temple receives around 3 million domestic and 2, 00, 000 foreign tourists throughout the year. The donations too are quite in proportion to the number of devotees visiting the temple, amounting to almost Rs. 4-5 crore. Two of the three domes of the temple are gold plated.

Guruvayurappan Temple, Kerala

Location: Guruvayur, Thrissur, Kerala
You have heard of Dwarka being in Gujarat, but there is a Dwarka in the southern part of India too. This is the famous Guruvayurappan Temple. According to some estimates, this temple is visited by almost 6 to 10 million devotees throughout the year. Needless to say, the amount of donations received by it makes it one of the richest temples in South India. On a regular basis, this temple is visited by almost 40,000 to 50,000 people. The total land belonging to the temple is believed to be around 230 acres while the temple’s own body, the Guruvayur Devaswom Board, estimates a collection of around Rs. 2.5 crores Hundi collection per month.

Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, Kerala

Location: Sabarimala, Pampa Triveni, Pathanamthitta, Kerala
Every temples on this list receives a large number of devotees on an annual and everyday basis. However, Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple stands out from them all, for the very reason that it receives around 40 to 50 million devotees every year. A distinguishing fact of this temple is that it allows entry only to men. According to some estimates, the revenue earned from the temple has amounted to almost Rs. 230 crore. During the year 2011-2012, which was also the pilgrimage season, the total income earned by the temple was around Rs. 218 crore.

Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Location: Shiv Prabhu Nagar, Survey Nagar, Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Mahalaxmi Temple in Kolhapur in Maharashtra is one of the 51 Shaktipeethas in India. Dedicated to Goddess Durga, it is also one of the richest temples in India. The principal deity of the temple is made of black stone and is adorned with marvelous gold and silver jewelry. If a report is to be believed, the total income of the temple amounted to Rs. 14, 66,83, 000 during the accounting year 2013-14.

Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Delhi

Location: Noida Mor, New Delhi
Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple is one of the youngest temples on this list, but enchants visitors with its grand architecture and style. It finds an honorable mention in the list of destinations promoted by Delhi Tourism. The main idol of the Swaminarayan Temple, the idol of Swaminarayan, is made of gold while the rest of the gurus are covered in leaf. Another fascinating fact about the temple is that it holds the largest record for being the world’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple.

Lingaraj Temple, Odisha

Location: Lingaraj Road, Old Town, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
Apart from Jagannath Temple, Lingaraj Temple is the other most famous temple in Odisha. The temple is a spectacular piece of Kalinga architecture and is simply marvelous. The annual income earned by this temple is estimated to be annually more than 1.2 million while an additional 4 million is collected by way of other sources like rents from shops, cycle stands and agriculture lands.