Gold missing from Kashi Vishwanath temple spire, alleges lawyer; PMO begins inquiry
A Varanasi lawyer's complaint says gold is missing from the temple's golden spire; the temple says a kalash fell after monkeys jumped on it.
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Even as an SIT probe continues into the alleged theft of donations and gold and silver jewellery from the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a similar allegation has now been made about the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. It is alleged that gold from the temple's golden spire has gone missing.
The matter has reached the Prime Minister's Office, which has begun an inquiry. The statement of the complainant, advocate Nityanand Rai, has been recorded over the phone. On the instructions of the Chief Minister's Office, the temple administration has also started an internal inquiry.
Rai, who lives in Teliyabagh in Varanasi, sent a written complaint on September 29 to the Divisional Commissioner, the Prime Minister's Office and the Chief Minister's Office. He claims that two golden kalash atop the temple's northern entrance are missing. In the complaint he wrote that information was sought from the temple administration but no reply was received. According to him, the temple's website too carries no information that gold has been removed from the golden spire.
Rai alleges that gold is also missing from small pieces in other parts of the spire. He said the gold layer has loosened in some places and could fall in strong wind or for some other reason. He has demanded that the entire matter be investigated and appropriate action taken.
The temple administration, however, says that a golden kalash atop the northern entrance fell a few days ago when monkeys jumped on it. It has been kept in a secure storeroom. Refitting it without a technical assessment would not be appropriate, so IIT Madras was approached. The institute's team has carried out a preliminary inspection and recommended repair of the entire golden spire.
Divisional Commissioner S. Rajalingam has also confirmed that a golden kalash fell in an incident. He said the kalash has been kept safe and will be refitted soon with the help of IIT Madras.
Rai has also demanded that the temple administration issue a white paper giving full details of where gold and silver have been used across the temple complex. He says this information should also be made available on the temple's official website.
