The Uttarakhand Government has decided to set up a high- level inquiry Committee to investigate the allegations of Rs1.25 billion Scam. The Scam is about the gold Plating of Kedarnath sanctum Sanctorum. On Friday Satpal Maharaj Minister of State Tourism, Religion and Culture said he has instructed the culture Secretary and religious affairs HariChandra Semwal to form a high-level inquiry Committee to investigate the matter on the gold Plating Scam under the chairmanship of the Garhwal Commissioner with the help of technical expert and gold smith.
Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in Hinduism and holds great religious significance. According to Hindu mythology, Kedarnath Temple is believed to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which are considered to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva. The temple is also one of the four major sites of the Char Dham Yatra, a spiritual journey undertaken by devout Hindus. Donating gold or any other valuable items to Kedarnath Temple is a generous gesture that many devotees choose to make. To donate gold to Kedarnath Temple, it is advisable to first contact the temple authorities or the administrative office. They can provide you with detailed information about the procedure and any specific requirements.
Recently, Teerth Purohit of Kedarnath Temple and Vice President Chardham Mahapanchayat Santosh Trivedi released a video on social media in which he said the walls oof the temple has been plated with the brass instead of gold and the scam was of about 1.25 billion.
Maharaj highlighted that the state government is “extremely sensitive” to the allegations and assured that appropriate action will be taken against those found guilty. He illuminated that the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum was conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939. The temple committee accepted donations and obtained permission from the state government to carry out the gold plating. The process was supervised by experts from the Archaeological Survey of India, and a donor provided the gold, which was then inlaid on the walls of the sanctum sanctorum.
Further he also said “Upon completion of the work, the donor submitted the bill and other relevant documents to the temple committee”. He also accused opposition parties of attempting to disrupt the Chardham Yatra by “unnecessarily exaggerating the issue”.
Earlier, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee had issued a statement disclosing that 23,777.800 grams of gold were used in the sanctum sanctorum, with a current value of approximately ₹14.38 crore. Additionally, copper plates weighing 1,001.300 kg were utilized for the gilded work, valued at ₹29 lakh.