DivineDigitalization: Integrating Digital Banking in Temple Governance in Kerala with South Indian Insights

This conceptual paper explores the transformative potential of digital banking integration in temple governance systems in Kerala, with comparative insights from key temples in South India. As temples evolve into complex financial institutions managing substantial public donations and assets, the traditional cash-based mechanisms are increasingly replaced by FinTech-enabled systems.ThestudyfocusesondigitalfinancialpracticeslikeUPIdonations,POS machines,ERP-integratedaccounting,e-hundi,ande-auctionsforleasingtemple assets. Caseillustrations from Guruvayur, Sabarimala, and Kadampuzha in Kerala, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh, and Meenakshi TempleinTamilNaduareanalyzedtohighlightthediversityofdigitaladoption. The paper argues that integrating ethical digital banking with temple finance promotes transparency, accountability, and alignment with Sustainable DevelopmentGoals(SDGs).Agovernancemodelisproposedtoguidereligious institutionsinadoptingdigitalinnovationsforsustainablefundmanagementand public trust enhancement.