CHANDIGARH: Offerings made by devotees at the Golden Temple in Amritsar have come down drastically since the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

The holiest shrine of the Sikhs has seen a fall in its revenue from other sources as well.

About one lakh pilgrims visit the Golden Temple every day and offerings are received at three points.

An average of Rs 6.5 crore is dropped into the golak [donation box] in the inner sanctum of the temple each month. Since Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were scrapped on November 8, collections have dropped by around 40 per cent.

Further, revenue from the sale of parshad has dipped by almost 50 per cent with the authorities not issuing receipts for offerings made in demonetised rates. The Golden Temple used to receive around Rs 7 lakh per day from sale of parshad, including the pini parshad that devotees take home.

Also for the same reason, devotees’ donations at the langar [community kitchen] have dried up, and so has revenue from bookings of Akhand Path. Devotees pay Rs 6100 for the Akhand Path booking.

“Since the demonetisation, the temple authorities have instructed staff not to issues receipts unless the offerings are in new currency,” said an insider.

“We have instructed our employees not to accept demonetised notes at the prasad and offering counters and that is why offerings have come down,” said Sulakhan Singh, a manager of the Golden Temple.

Sources said devotee footfalls at the Golden Temple have come down from the one lakh visitors on normal days.