India's latest tax reform, the goods and services tax (GST), doesn't spare our temples. A hundred and seventy-one temples in Andhra Pradesh with an income of over Rs 20 lakh will come under the GST, reported The Deccan Herald. The donations made to these temples will come under the purview of the new tax regime.

Of the 23,834 temples in the state, 45 temples come under the income bracket of Rs 1 crore, 63 temples under the income of up to Rs 25 crore and seven temples with more than Rs 25 crore annual income, including the country’s richest, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

Temples are the only religious institutions that are taxed, and many hoped that the GST would exempt our temples just like any other religious institution. However, that's far from being the case.

Also Read: “Swarajya” For Hindu Temples