Kedarnath temple officials term 'gold turning into brass' videos as 'conspiracy'

Reacting sharply to the claims being made on social media platforms that the gold plating of the famous Kedarnath temple's sanctum sanctorum is actually brass, the management team of the temple called it a "conspiracy".

The controversy of 'gold turning into brass' erupted after some people shared videos on social media platforms which claimed that gold polish is being added to the temple's inner sanctum. In the shared video clips, workers are seen pulling out some tin cans, which had "gold wash" written on the lids, inside the sanctum-sanctorum.

In another clip, workers are seen sitting on various parts of gold-plated material and carrying out its examination.

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'No truth in the videos shared'

However, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee's (BKTC) officials termed the clips a "conspiracy". After the videos were shared, Kedarnath temple's senior priest alleged that a multi-crore scam has been carried out in the gold plating of the inner walls of the shrine.

Priest Santosh Trivedi stated that the inner sanctum of the temple has been covered with brass plates, which are claimed to be gold plates, and alleged that temple officials have indulged in a scam worth "Rs 1250 million" (approximately $15.25 million).

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

Trivedi, who also holds the position of vice president of the Teerth Purohit (pilgrimage priest) Mahapanchayat, said that he will launch an agitation if people involved in the alleged scam are not punished.

However, temple panel chairman Ajendra Ajay stated that the video was politically motivated and called it the handiwork of people who are unhappy with the record increase in the number of devotees thronging the Kedarnath temple because of the shrine's improved facilities created under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

"The campaign is part of a vicious political conspiracy to tarnish the image of Kedarnath Dham. It has been hatched by petty politicians who are envious of the record rise in the number of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath over the past couple of years," he stated in a statement.

As per the panel, the gold plating was done after a donor expressed his wishes for the same and the work was supervised by the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The temple committee further clarified that the donor executed the gold plating, adding that he made jewellers prepare copper plates as the platings' base. These plates were installed by the donor through his jewellers in the temple.

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"The entire work was done by the donor and we had no direct role to play in it," stated the temple panel chairman.

According to the statement of the committee, vouchers and official bills of the gold and copper plates which were installed by the donor through his jeweller in the sanctum sanctorum were given to the management of the team and recorded in the stock book, according to the rules.

"No condition was placed before by the donor or any firm for this work done as a donation, nor did the donor ask for a certificate under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act from BKTC," the statement said. The same donor had also got Shri Badrinath Temple's sanctum sanctorum studded with gold in 2005.

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