Ayodhya. Vijay Pathak, an employee of the Ram Mandir Trust appointed to oversee the counting of offerings—conducted by State Bank of India (SBI) staff—at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, resigned from his post on Thursday immediately after the duty order was issued. Pathak sent his resignation to the Trust’s interim General Secretary, Krishna Mohan, via WhatsApp. News of the resignation has sparked intense discussion within the temple complex.
According to reports, staff are deployed at various levels to ensure transparency in the process of counting and handling the offerings received from devotees at the Ram Mandir. As part of this arrangement, Pathak had been assigned the responsibility of supervising the counting of offerings by SBI employees. He submitted his resignation to the interim General Secretary immediately after the duty order was issued.
Pathak sent his resignation via WhatsApp on Thursday. However, rather than formally accepting the resignation sent via WhatsApp, the Trust has asked him to follow the prescribed procedure. He has been instructed to submit his resignation via email. Additionally, he has been asked to visit the temple office to surrender his entry pass and other essential items related to his duties.
Sources within the Trust state that a formal resignation process requires an application to be received through written or official channels. Consequently, following the WhatsApp resignation, Pathak was instructed to submit it via email. He was also asked to return documents related to temple access and other materials.
Due to the large number of devotees visiting the Ram Mandir, substantial offerings are received daily. Devotees donate cash, gold, silver, and other items. The counting and secure handling of these offerings are managed under a set protocol. A supervision system is also in place to ensure the cash counting process—conducted in the presence of bank employees—remains organized and transparent. No official information has yet emerged regarding the reasons behind Vijay Pathak’s resignation. The Trust has not issued a detailed explanation as to why he resigned; therefore, it would be premature to draw any conclusions about the cause.
It is also significant that, following the submission of the resignation via WhatsApp, the Trust immediately outlined the required procedure, instructing the employee to submit a formal resignation via email and to appear at the temple office to hand over all necessary materials. This indicates that the Trust intends to complete the resignation process in accordance with established administrative rules.
Since the construction of the Ram Mandir, the number of devotees visiting Ayodhya has steadily increased. Devotees arriving from various parts of the country not only visit the temple for darshan but also make substantial donations. Consequently, the counting of offerings, accounting, and security arrangements are considered crucial. The role of bank employees is a vital component of this financial process.
Following Vijay Pathak’s resignation, it remains to be seen whom the Trust appoints to handle his responsibilities and how the system for overseeing the counting of offerings will be managed moving forward. As of now, the Trust has not released any detailed official information regarding the reasons for the resignation or the subsequent appointment.
What is clear from the sequence of events is that on the very day the duty order was issued, Vijay Pathak sent his resignation via WhatsApp to the Trust’s interim General Secretary, Krishna Mohan. In response, the Trust instructed him to submit a formal resignation via email and to deposit necessary items—including his entry pass—at the temple office to complete the required formalities.
