Pashupatinath temple has Rs1.2 billion cash in different banks, 9.276kg gold, 316.58kg silver and 3,667 ropanis of land, shows a report made public by a committee formed to study the assets of the country’s most revered and the richest Hindu shrine. The report is based on the records of the last 56 years—from 1962 to 2019.

“This is the first time we are making public the report on the assets of Pashupati Area Development Trust,” the trust’s Executive Director Ramesh Upreti told a press meet on Wednesday.

The actual value of the treasures stored in the main temple of Pashupatinath, however, is not included in the report as the Supreme Court had on December 24, 2009, asked authorities not to open its coffers.

The 11-member committee was formed on October 23, 2017, under Milan Kumar Thapa.

“The trust has land in many places. But due to inadequate evidence, we have not been able to bring them under the trust,” said Thapa, expressing concern that land plots belonging to the trust in various places have been encroached upon.

Of the total registered land, the Trust has leased 1,161 ropanis to Tribhuvan International Airport and a golf course for 99 years at an annual rent of Rs 5 million a year. Similarly, the trust has leased 17 ropanis of land to Hyatt Regency, a five-star hotel in Bouddha.

In Gothathar, the trust has 534 ropanis of land which the government had registered under it’s name in 1998.  

It had acquired 1,505 ropanis of land near the temple between 2002 and 2013. There are 195 Guthis under the Pashupatnath temple.  

Padip Dhakal, member secretary at the trust, said Wednesday announcement is the first step towards making public the temple’s assets.

“Since Pashupatinath is a public property, many people are obviously curious to learn about the way the trust has been managing its wealth,” said Dhakal.