Navratra fest: Donations fall, foreign currency up

Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, October 19 

Even as cash donations has gone down by a minimum of Rs 2 lakh, online donations from the NRIs has increased 35-times during the Navratras that concluded on Thursday. 

“The foreign currencies donated during the 9-day festivities include 126 American dollars, 140 New Zealand dollars, 715 Canadian dollars, 392 Australian dollars and 30 Euros,” said SP Arora, CEO, Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board (MMDSB). 

He said last year, there was a considerable decrease in the donations in the form of foreign currency as only 120 US dollars, 5 New Zealand dollars, 10 Australian dollars, 140 Canadian dollars, 10 Singapore dollars and 25 Euros were donated by the NRIs.

Arora said this year, the total cash donations made by the devotees reached Rs 1.29 crore. A large amount of jewellery, utensils and electrical items were also donated.

While the total donations this year was less than the last year’s Rs 1.31 crore, the number of gold items donated by the devotees, too, has also dropped down this year by 50 per cent. Last year, the devotees donated 151.275 gm gold, while this year it was only 72.87 gm. 

However, there was a slight increase in silver items as 8,761.07 gm of silver has been received against the last year’s 7,622.210 gm.

Arora said various developmental works, including the construction of the double corridor between the old temple and the Patiala temple and a park over drain, would be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 5.5 crore. 

He said after the completion of the project, the devotees would not have to suffer extreme heat conditions or rain. He said LED lights and stainless steel grills would also be installed in the corridor.