Hundi Money Counting at Sri Male Mahadeshwar Hill Records Rs 2.90 Crores in 33 Days

Chamarajanagara ; In a significant event at Sri Male Mahadeshwar Hill, a renowned pilgrimage site in Hanur taluk, the counting of hundi money took place on Wednesday, revealing a collection of Rs 2.90 crores over the past 33 days.

Under the supervision of Shanta Mallikarjuna Swami of Salur Brihan Math, the hundis were opened at 8 am on Wednesday at the commercial complex near Male Mahadeshwar Hill Bus Stand. The counting process continued until 10 pm, monitored by CCTV cameras. The surge in visitors to the temple, attributed to factors such as free bus travel, full moon, , Christmas holidays, and New Year celebrations, led to a substantial influx of money in the form of donations, gold, and silver offerings into the hundi.

During the 33-day counting period, a total of Rs 2,90,00,732 was collected, alongside 102 grams of gold and 3.300 kg of silver. Interestingly, foreign currency , including US dollars (22), Canadian dollars (100), and Thai dollars (2), as well as Rs 2000 notes that are currently out of circulation, were discovered in the hundi. Additionally, 12 notes with a face value of Rs 2000 were among the findings.

In the previous hundi counting held in September, a collection of Rs 2.38 crore was reported. However, during the October counting, several invalidated notes were found, including 677 Rs 1,000-denomination notes (worth Rs 6,77,000) and 4,353 Rs 500-denomination notes (worth Rs 21,76,500). Despite the invalidation, devotees deposited a total of Rs 28,53,500 in the hundi. Notably, Rs 3.56 lakh face value of Rs 2,000 notes were also identified, which can be exchanged. The total income from hundi, festivals, and laddu sales for the year amounted to Rs 6.3 crores, attracting a total of 50 lakh devotees.