Latest update:07 Dec 2025 at 11:12 PM IST

A solo visitor to Akshardham temple lost Rs 1.8 lakh worth of valuables to a scam by two men, including a fake priest, and warned others on Reddit about these elaborate scams at the temple.

Archive photo of Akshardham temple. (Image: https://akshardham.com/)

A man who recently planned a solo trip to Delhi’s Akshardham temple lost valuables worth Rs 1.8 lakh after falling victim to a scam orchestrated by two men, including a fake priest.

In a post on Reddit, the man claimed that he was cheated by a fake priest near Akshardham temple, and lost property worth around Rs 1.8 lakh, including a Samsung S24 Ultra, a smartwatch, cash, and important documents. He shared the incident on Reddit to warn others of increasingly sophisticated scams that often target solo or first-time temple visitors.

According to his account, the ordeal began on a bus when a soft-spoken middle-aged man struck up a friendly conversation and offered to show him around the temple. After arriving at the destination, the scammer claimed to be familiar with the area and warned the victim that the cloakroom was unsafe, saying he had lost valuables there previously.

To build trust, he called someone he said he could rely on, and soon another man dressed as a pujari arrived. The victim wrote that Pujari reassured him, saying: “Don’t worry at all, everything is safe here.” The older man even handed over his phone and wallet, which convinced the victim to hand over his phone, wallet, smart watch, belt, shoes and more before entering into darshan.

The victim said the temple visit seemed real, with the “uncle” explaining various details. But once they left, the situation changed. The old man offered him ladoo and asked him to wait while he supposedly went to “deposit some money.” Moments later, both the “uncle” and the fake pujari disappeared. That’s when the victim realized he had been tricked.

His stolen items included Rs 8,000 in cash, multiple bank cards, a PAN card and a driving licence. After filing a complaint with the police, he was told that such organized scams were common near major religious sites. He urged visitors to be careful and rely only on official toilets. “People think that scammers will look or act suspicious. But this uncle was patient, kind and persuasive. He slowly and carefully built his trust and manipulated me into believing him. “If you visit Akshardham or any big temple, please be very careful,” he warned.

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