LUCKNOW/VARANASI/AGRA, June 30 -- Alleged irregularities in donation collections at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has brought the management of one of India's largest religious cash collection exercises into sharp focus. A comparison with three of Uttar Pradesh's largest temple trusts-Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan-shows that all three have institutionalised stronger systems of financial accountability, including magistrate-supervised counting, CCTV-monitored cash handling, documented audit trails, collective oversight and prompt banking of donations. Financial records placed before the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's executive committee on March 21 show devotees donated Rs.82.78 crore between April 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026. During the same period, the trust earned Rs.138.03 crore as interest on bank deposits, bringing its total income to Rs.220.81 crore. Officials informed the executive committee that nearly Rs.2,100 crore remained invested in fixed deposits after construction expenditure. According to the SIT, the cash collected from around 40 donation boxes passed through multiple manual stages without adequate segregation of duties or independent verification, said a senior official who did not wished to be named....