Kedarnath temple to get a ‘golden’ makeover

Gold plating of sanctum sanctorum to be funded by a diamond merchant

The sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple is currently covered in 230 kg of silver. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

A Mumbai based businessman will fund the facelift of Kedarnath temple’s sanctum sanctorum which will now be gold-plated.  Currently the sanctum sanctorum of one of the famous Char Dham temple is covered with 230 kilogram of silver.

Ajendra Ajay, chairman shri Badarinath - Kedarnath temple committee told The Hindu that the firm which has done the gold plating of sanctums of the Kashi Vishwanath and many temples in the South India has been given the task of the replacing the silver inside Kedarnath temple’s sanctum with gold plating. The silver plating of the temple was done in 2017.

“We have already started removing silver from the sanctum of the temple. Then the copper plates will be placed on the walls and four pillars inside the sanctum. This will be done to take measurements. Once the measurements will be done, they will replace the same with gold plating,” he added.

The work inside the temple began earlier this week will be completed before Deepawali, said the chairman who claimed that the donation of gold made by the businessman is a ‘gupta daan’ (secret donation). The gold plating will be done on walls, pillars and on the shed (chatra) above the deity.

The officials in the Badri-Kedar temple committee said that the secret-donor is a diamond merchant who has not shared what would be the amount of gold he would be donating but has only sought permission from the government to do the gold plating of the temple’s sanctum.

“His permission was approved last month and we still don’t know what amount of gold would go in the task. Around 230 kg silver has been removed from the walls of the sanctum so even if it will have a copper base beneath gold, we can expect that atleast half of the gold may go in the process,” said the official who did not wish to be quoted.

Renovation of the 8th century Kedarnath temple, which was at the epicentre of the disaster in 2013, is one of the dream projects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Over 200 crore has already been collectively spent by the Uttarakhand and Central government on the project that has been going on for a decade now.