HT / PTI

Puri, May 18: Christians are barred from entering the Jagannath temple at Puri but a Geneva-based Christian lawyer has donated nearly $400,000 (Rs 1.78 crore) to the shrine — the amount is more than the total donation received last year.

Elizabeth Ziegler, a lawyer at Au Barreau near Geneva, had transferred the money from her account to that of the temple on April 18 last, the sources said.

Her spiritual tryst with the Jagannath temple began a decade ago. She stood outside the temple wall and left. But her donations kept coming in.

Suresh Mohapatra, an IAS official who is the chief administrative officer of the temple, told HT: “We had received around $45,000 from Ziggler in 2000-03. But the recent donation of around $400,000 is the highest amount ever to have donated by any individual or group to the shrine."

Earlier, Ziggler would ask some rituals to be performed on her behalf. It could be feeding the Brahmins or hoisting a flag atop the temple from her donations. This time, however, she has not mentioned any particular purpose.

The 13th century shrine's total collection from donations during 2005-06 was Rs 2.81 crore while the estimate for 2006-07 was Rs 2.96 crore, the sources said.