Post Deepavali, services at temples under the Muzrai department will go digital. Aimed at bringing in transparency and accountability in management of temple funds, the department will introduce digital payments for any seva, prasad or service in its temples across the state. The digital facility, to begin with, will be implemented in all ‘A’ category temples and replicated in ‘B’ and ‘C’ category temples later.
Bringing in modernity into tradition, the department is now giving final touches to the dedicated website and a secure payment gateway. According to officials, devotees anywhere in the world can select temples on the website and pay using the gateway and avail any service without waiting in queues at the temple.
Sharing details with DH, Minister for Religious Endowment (Muzrai), Haj and Wakf, Shashikala Jolle said, “The project will help bring in transparency in temple administration. Further, the government can also effectively utilise the offerings and donations for the development of temples and surrounding infrastructure to accommodate devotees.”
She said talks with selected banks are in the final stage. “Banks will create virtual accounts that will be linked to each temple and devotees can pay from anywhere and avail any service. Besides the management of funds, this will help in decongesting temples in the post-pandemic world. More than that, no devotee will have to undergo that ordeal of waiting in long queues to pay and get a receipt,” the minister explained.
The system will be operational in ‘A’ category temples by this month, including Kukke Subrahmanya Temple, Sreekantheshwara temple in Nanjangud, Mookambika temple at Kollur and Banashankari temple in Bengaluru. Devotees making offerings at the temple must show QR codes.
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