Madhya Pradesh Slashes Temple Renovation Budget by Two-Thirds In 3 Years

At a time when Madhya Pradesh speaks proudly of its two Jyotirlingas, four Shakti Peeths, and thousands of ancient temples radiating spiritual energy, a stark financial picture has emerged from the Assembly floor.

The state government has reduced the temple renovation and restoration budget by nearly two-thirds in just three years, even as public debt continues to rise.

According to the written reply tabled in the Assembly, the funds sanctioned and released for temple conservation have steadily declined year after year. In 2023-24, the government sanctioned Rs 12,05,73,610 and released Rs 11,99,73,610 for renovation and restoration works. In 2024-25, the sanctioned amount dropped to Rs 8,35,73,367, of which Rs 8,28,55,367 was released. The decline became even sharper in 2025-26, when only Rs 4,11,90,059 was sanctioned and Rs 3,98,58,679 released.

In absolute terms, the sanctioned amount has fallen by nearly Rs 7.94 crore in three years, while the released amount has dropped by about Rs 8 crore. This translates into a reduction of roughly 66 to 67 percent, effectively bringing the temple renovation budget down to almost one-third of what it was in 2023-24.

The Assembly reply also makes it clear that the state government is responsible for maintaining 22,098 government-administered temples across Madhya Pradesh. Of these, 2,536 temples are located in Ujjain district alone, the highest concentration in the state. Despite overseeing such a vast religious network, the allocation for renovation has continued to shrink, raising serious questions about how effective restoration can be carried out with just under Rs 4 crore.

Responding in the Assembly, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture, Tourism, Religious Trusts and Endowments, Dharmendra Lodhi, emphasized Madhya Pradesh's spiritual richness.

“From a religious perspective, Madhya Pradesh is extremely prosperous. Our state has two Jyotirlingas, four Shakti Peeths, and many sacred sites that radiate positive energy for humanity. The government is continuously working for the protection, maintenance, and rejuvenation of over 22,000 temples,” he said.

The minister also highlighted that Rs 21.96 crore had been provided as honorarium to priests and Rs 42 crore spent under the Chief Minister's pilgrimage scheme, facilitating visits to Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Kashi and Kamakhya.

However, when questioned by NDTV regarding the declining renovation allocations, the minister asserted that Rs 25 crore is made available for temple rejuvenation and that claims of reduction were “not accurate.” This apparent gap between the written Assembly figures and public statements has sparked political controversy.

Congress spokesperson Bhupendra Gupta alleged, “This government has started deceiving even God, religion and temples. The renovation budget has been cut by two-thirds. From Rs 12 crore to barely Rs 4 crore, this is the real face of the government. They must explain how this is service to religion.”

The cuts come at a time when Madhya Pradesh's public debt and borrowing requirements are rising. Critics argue that temple renovation appears to be one of the areas affected by fiscal tightening. While the government maintains that not all temples receive direct funding and that many are managed by independent trusts, the fact remains that for temples under direct state responsibility, both sanctioned and released funds have steadily declined.