Controversy Surrounding Kedarnath Temple’s Gold Plating: Officials Refute Claims

Rudraprayag: The Kedarnath temple management has strongly refuted claims circulating on social media regarding the gold plating of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum in Uttarakhand. Officials of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) have dismissed the allegations as a “conspiracy.” The controversy arose after videos shared on social media platforms suggested that the gold plating was actually brass.

Short clips showing workers handling tin cans labelled “gold wash” and examining gold-plated material have been circulating online. However, the authenticity of these videos cannot be verified.

Following the circulation of the videos, a senior priest named Santosh Trivedi accused a multi-crore scam involving the gold plating of the inner walls of the Kedarnath temple. Trivedi, who is also the vice president of the Teerth Purohit Mahapanchayat, claimed that the temple’s inner sanctum had been covered with brass plates instead of gold. He alleged a scam worth Rs 125 crore and threatened to launch an agitation unless those responsible were held accountable.

In response, the temple panel chairman, Ajendra Ajay, dismissed the videos as politically motivated and the work of individuals discontented with the increasing number of devotees visiting the temple. Ajay stated that the campaign aimed to tarnish the image of Kedarnath Dham and was orchestrated by jealous politicians. He attributed the rise in pilgrims to the improved facilities implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The temple committee clarified that the gold plating had been carried out at the request of a donor, with experts from the Archaeological Survey of India supervising the process. The donor had engaged jewellers to prepare copper plates as a base for the gold plating, which were then installed in the temple.

According to the committee, the entire process was conducted by the donor, and the temple committee played no direct role. The committee received official bills and vouchers for the gold and copper plates, which were recorded in the stock book as per regulations.

The statement from the committee also mentioned that no conditions were imposed by the donor or any firm involved in the work. Additionally, the donor did not request a certificate under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act from BKTC.

It is worth noting that the sanctum sanctorum of Shri Badrinath Temple had also undergone gold plating in 2005, carried out by the same donor.