Padmanaba Swamy Temple, Kerala
There is a Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This temple has been a center of faith for devotees for many years. Now, the GST department has issued a notice to the temple management demanding payment of outstanding GST of Rs 157 crore. The notice mentioned that the temple has not paid GST for seven consecutive years.
According to a notification sent by the department, the temple’s income comes from various sources. This also includes clothes provided by devotees, from which the temple management earns a lot of revenue. In addition, income from the sale of idols is also included. In addition, believers who come here also charge rent for the elephants, which brings income to the temple.
Not paying GST for seven years
According to officials, the temple management has not paid excise duty for seven years. A notice has since been sent to the temple administration. At the same time, temple officials also clarified the matter. He said temples have many types of exemptions. The taxable income during this period was only Rs 16 lakh, of which Rs 3 lakh was paid. According to the department, the temple management has not paid the outstanding taxes since 2017. Failure to pay this amount will result in a penalty. If the penalty is not paid, 18% interest will also be charged.
Padmanaba Swamy Temple is located in Trivandrum. Lord Vishnu is worshiped here. The temple was rebuilt in 1733 AD. Maharaja Marthad Varma of Travancore renovated this temple. Here, the temple’s sanctum sanctorum houses an ancient idol of Lord Vishnu, which has been the center of devotion for devotees over the years. In this temple, the statue of Lord Vishnu is seated in a sleeping posture. The resting state of Lord Vishnu is called “Padmanabha” and that is why this temple is called Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
