Taking a lesson from theft of donations from the Ayodhya temple, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is set to modernise the process of counting cash offerings made by devotees at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, with machines replacing manual counting within the next 15 days.
The Shrine Board has begun phasing out the manual counting of cash offerings at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan in Katra and is introducing Cash Recycler Machines (CRMs) to make the process faster, safer and more transparent.
According to the shrine board, two cash recycler machines have already been installed, while work is underway to install six more machines. The board is preparing to discontinue manual counting completely within around 15 days.
Manual counting to be phased out
Until now, cash offerings received at the shrine were counted manually by employees in a designated counting room. The entire process was monitored through CCTV cameras, while access to the counting room was restricted as part of the security arrangements.
With the introduction of the new system, the cash will be counted and processed through machines, reducing the need for manual handling of large volumes of currency.
Focus on transparency and security
The Shrine Board expects the technology-driven system to improve the speed and efficiency of counting while strengthening transparency and security in the handling of devotees’ offerings.
The move is also aimed at streamlining the entire process and reducing the scope for human error during the counting of large amounts of cash.
Shrine Board officials said the initiative forms part of the broader effort to modernise facilities and improve administrative processes at the shrine.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, has stressed the need to make the offering-counting process simpler, safer and more transparent.
The use of technology is expected not only to save employees’ time but also to make the counting and handling of devotees’ offerings more systematic, secure and reliable.
Mata Vaishno Devi shrine received Rs 572 crore in cash.
The Vaishno Devi shrine, considered the second richest in the country after Tirumala Tirupati Devsthanams, has received a donation of Rs 572.21 crore in cash in just two and a half years, from 2024-25 to June 2026.
The revelations came to light after an RTI application filed by Jammu-based RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma.
The RTI comes amid a row over alleged fake silver offerings worth Rs 550 crore being adjudicated by a local court in Jammu.
In response to the queries, joint chief executive officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Satish Kumar Sharma, in a written reply, stated that the shrine received Rs 282.17 crore during the fiscal year 2024–2025, followed by Rs 217.07 crore (unaudited) during 2025–2026 and Rs 72.97 crore (unaudited) during 2026–2027 up to June.