Has 228 kilograms of gold vanished from the sacred Kedarnath Shrine? Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati claims so, dubbing it the 'Gold Scandal'.
While conversing with media, the revered Swami voiced concerns about a financial scandal at Kedarnath, insinuating a possible recurrence of such scandals during the construction of a replica Kedarnath temple in Delhi, with a staggering 228 kilograms of gold reportedly gone missing without a trace or investigation.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda raised doubts about the new temple being built in Delhi, stating that the original divine Kedarnath abides in the Himalayas, and such sanctity cannot be replicated elsewhere.
What exactly is the 228-kilogram gold scandal?
Shankaracharya referred to a scandal that surfaced in June 2023. Chief Priest Santosh Trivedi accused the Kedarnath Temple's administrative committee of gold plating the shrine's inner walls with precious metal worth 1.25 billion rupees in 2005.
Donated by an individual devotee, the gold, Trivedi claims, has suspiciously turned to brass. The priest pointed fingers at the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) for irregularities. However, the committee denied these allegations, calling it a conspiracy to defame the institution.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda concurs that the government has yet to launch an investigation into the matter.
Why the opposition to the replica Kedarnath Temple in Delhi?
A replica temple's foundation was recently laid in Burari, Delhi, in the presence of Uttarakhand's Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other dignitaries. However, this initiative faced fierce opposition in Uttarakhand, with religious leaders and priests calling it an affront to the original Himalayan abode's sanctity.
Swami Avimukteshwarananda strongly opposed the project, stating that a symbolic Kedarnath cannot exist, highlighting that sacred scriptures vividly locate the original 12 Jyotirlingas. It is believed that divine presence and power cannot merely be relocated for convenience.
He urged the devotees not to be swayed by illusions and respect the original holy sites as they are detailed in the scriptures.
What is the government's stance?
While Uttarakhand's CM attended the foundation ceremony in Delhi, the government distanced itself from the controversy, stating the initiative is run by an independent trust named Kedarnath Trust and does not involve the state government or its finances.
What does the Kedarnath Trust say?
Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan's head, Swami Darshan Bharti, called misusing Kedarnath Dham's name sinful. The trust has reportedly decided to rename the Delhi temple, indicating that while it signifies reverence, it is distinct from the actual 'Dham' in the Himalayas and does not intend to infringe upon its holy stature.
