News related to Kedarnath temple: The matter of gold gilding of the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple is in a lot of controversy these days. For the first time in 2 years, the temple committee has had to officially issue a statement with facts. There was 23 kg of gold. There is a lot of uproar over the matter of gold in Kedarnath worth 14 crores. Politics has been going on about this for the last two years, but the question is why did it take the temple committee two years to tell such a small thing. Now the temple committee has given an explanation regarding the gold theft.
Two years ago, 23 kg of gold was alleged to have been stolen from the Kedarnath temple. Santosh Trivedi, the pilgrim priest of Kedarnath Dham and the vice-president of the Chardham Mahapanchayat, has alleged that 23.78 kg of gold donated to the temple has been stolen. This gold was used as a coating on the walls of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, which was donated by a businessman from Mumbai.
The gold plating work in Kedarnath was completed in October 2022. Only after this, a businessman from Mumbai donated 23 kg of gold. After which the walls and ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple were coated with 550 kg of gold.
A press note has been issued by the Kedarnath Temple Committee. It says, ”Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has called the confusion being spread on social media regarding gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath temple as part of a conspiracy. It has been said that the donor had expressed his wish to gold plating the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath temple. Respecting the sentiments of the donor, the proposal was examined in the board meeting of the temple committee and permission was given to gold plating.
BKTC has clarified that donations have been accepted from donors in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act 1939 and permission was taken from the state government to gild the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath Temple. The work of gilding was done under the supervision of experts from the Archaeological Survey of India.
BKTC has given permission to gold plate the walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple in accordance with the pious sentiments of the donor. BKTC has also clarified that the work of gold plating the sanctum sanctorum has been done by the donor himself. The donor got copper plates prepared from jewelers and then gold plating was done on them. The donor got these plates installed in the temple through his jewelers.
From buying gold to inlaying it on the walls, the entire work was done by the donor. The temple had no direct role in this. That is, all the work was done by the donor. The official bills and vouchers of the gold and copper plates installed in the sanctum sanctorum by the donor through his goldsmith were given to BKTC after the work was completed. As per rules, BKTC has recorded it in the stock book. No condition was placed before BKTC by the donor or any firm for the work done as donation, nor did the donor ask for a certificate under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act from BKTC.
The sanctum sanctorum of Shri Badrinath temple was also studded with gold in the year 2005 by the said donor. But at present, malicious allegations are being made under a well-planned conspiracy. It is well known that the country’s illustrious Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Due to the well-organized operation of the Yatra under the inspiration of Shri and guidance of the Chief Minister of the state Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami ji, there has been a huge increase in the number of pilgrims. Especially in Shri Kedarnath Dham, there has been a record increase in the number of devotees. This is not being liked by petty political elements. Such elements are spreading confusion to affect the Yatra and tarnish the image of Kedarnath Dham. BKTC will take legal action against those who spread such propaganda.
The work of gilding the walls and jaali of the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath Temple has been done in the year 2022 with the courtesy of a donor. Currently, a video is being circulated on social media by some people that gold worth Rs. 1,15,00,00,000.00 (Rs. One billion fifteen crores only) has been installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and an attempt is being made to hurt the sentiments of the people by spreading misleading information without facts.
In relation to the above, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee wishes to clarify that, through the courtesy of a donor, a total of 23,777.800 grams of gold has been used in the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Kedarnath Temple, whose current value as per the market rate is approximately Rs. 14.38 crores and the total weight of copper plates used for the gold plating work is 1,001.300 kilograms, whose total value is Rs. 29,00,000.00 (Rs. twenty nine lakhs only).
Therefore, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee refutes the misleading information being circulated on social media in this regard. Apart from this, legal action is also being taken as per rules for spreading the said misleading information.
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