Varanasi: Although the first wave of Covid-19 substantially reached the revenue of Kashi Vishwanath (KVT) Temple in 2020, the Temple coffers showed an increase through donations and other sources despite the challenges caused by the second wave of pandemic.
The Temple authorities said the increase was made possible because of the increase in pilgrims, especially those from the southern state.
It also brings a break to the hospitality industry that faces the worst phase of financial losses in 2019-20.
KVT enrolled a big step in the Moon Shrawan who had just concluded.
Collections made through tables that sell tickets to carry out various rituals, participation in Aartis and ‘Sugam Darshan’, donations and other sources see a large increase.
Division Commissioner Deepep Agrawal said, “the temple recorded a collection of Rs 26.65 Crores in the financial year 2018-19 and Rs 26.47 Crores in 2019-20.
However, at 2020-21 the temple only received Rs 12.58 Crores.” Reasons The main in returning the decline in the Temple’s income was the complete closure of KVT for more than 100 days during the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020.
The temple was closed in March 2020 and reopened on June 8, 2020, and had no income through the help -Desk and donation in the box Donate from the temple in this period.
Even after being reopened in June 2020, the temple had a few footsteps.
Even on Monday, Shrawan, the temple was visited by less than 6,000 people.
If the President of the Banaras Association Hotel Gokul Sharma will be trusted, some improvements in the arrival of pilgrims have been witnessed by the DeveWali Dev celebration in November 2020 and the trend continued until March this year, when the two pandemic waves hit tourism and industry hospitality again.
However, although deadly, the second wave cannot stop the temple income completely.
Instead of closing the temple in April, the district government decided to keep the KVT open by making a negative RT-PCR test report from the last 72 hours mandatory to enter, despite being included in Garbhgriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) and ‘Sparsh Darshan’ (touching Jyotirlinga) has been stopped.
This provision remains effective for 54 days when the feet of the worshipers become a little.
According to the commissioner, the income of the temple was Rs 90.93 Lakh in April, Rs 66.42 Lakh in May and Rs 33.74 Lakh in July.
During the Moon Shrawan, the KVTS income went above RS 1.11 Crore.
The main reason is a massive increase in the number of worshipers, especially from the southern state during the month of Shrawan.
Police records and temples show that 60,000 to one Lakh pilgrims entered the KVT, which had a foot point on average more than 10,000 worshipers per day before the threat of Covid-19 began in March 2020, on the day of the art of Shrawan this year.
It has convinced repair officials in KVTS revenue in the current financial year during the previous one even though the jerk was given by the second wave of pandemic.
This trend also increases the expectations of the relief.
Sharma said, “The increase in the number of people and vaccinated awareness of prevention in pandemics has strengthened pilgrims from all over the country.
Even though the hotel rooms are sold at cheaper prices than normal time, have given a break to the industry after the bitter experience of 2020.”