Vaishno Devi Pilgrims Seek Blessings In Exchange Of Demonetised Currency, Rs 40 Lakh Old Notes Offered In Last 2 Years

On November 08, 2016 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will cease to be legal tender, people perhaps rushed to Vaishno Devi shrine instead of their nearest banks.

As per a report by Hindustan Times, it has been discovered that devotees offered Rs 40 lakh in demonetised currency notes in the last two years at the cave shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Moreover, the largest inflow of banned currency took place during the following months of November and December 2016. As per HT, pilgrims offered Rs 1.90 crore in banned notes between November 9, 2016, and December 9, 2016.

Photo: Hellotravel.com

Though, the number of offerings made in form of demonetised currency has declined significantly since December 31, 2016; many devotees still offer demonetised currency, informed Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board¡¯s (SMVDSB¡¯s) chief executive officer Simrandeep Singh.

Singh further said that since these notes were no longer legal, the RBI has refused to accept it. The notes will be disposed off in an appropriate manner. The shrine is the second richest in the country after Andhra Pradesh¡¯s Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

In 2018, Rs 164 crore was at the shrine¡¯s sanctum out of which Rs 1 crore was donated on December 31, 2018, and January 1, 2019. The official told HT that Goods and Services tax and demonetisation had no impact on the offerings that were made at the shrine.

During demonetisation the shrine board had even made the facility of cashless payments available to its pilgrims. An advisory was also issued in different locations advising devotees to not offer a donation in demonetized currency.

Meanwhile, in an interview to ANI aired on January 01, 2019 PM Modi said that his announcement was not quite a 'Jhatka'. The decision might not have come to people as a surprise as they were warned several times.

¡°This wasn¡¯t jhatka. We had warned people a year before, that if you have such wealth (black money), you can deposit it, pay penalties and you will be helped out. However, they thought Modi too would behave like others so very few came forward voluntarily,¡± he said in the interview.