Jammu Tawi, March 16 -- Pilgrim donations at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up to Rs 171.90 crore in Financial Year 2024-25 (till January) from Rs 63.85 crore in 2020-21, according to the temple board. Similarly, the gold offerings at the shrine have also increased from over nine kgs to 27.7 kgs and silver from over 753 kgs to over 3,424 kgs during the same period, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has said.

Replying to an RTI application filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma, the shrine board said an amount of Rs 63.85 crore were received as donation or offering in the FY 2020-21 followed by Rs 166.68 crore in FY 2021-22, Rs 223.12 crore in FY 2022-23, Rs 231.50 crore in FY 2023-24 and Rs ...