Dehradun: The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) termed the misleading campaign running on social media as part of a conspiracy over the gold-plated sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple. Refuting the claims on social media platforms that the gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple is brass, BKTC termed it a "conspiracy".
BKTC said that the donor expressed his desire for gold plating of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple. Respecting the feelings of the donor, permission was granted to decorate the sanctum sanctorum after examining the board meeting proposal of the temple committee.
BKTC clarified that the donation was accepted from the donor as per the provisions laid down in the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act-1939. Permission was taken from the government and the administration to make the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple gold-plated.
BKTC said that the gold plating was done under the supervision of the experts of the Archaeological Survey of India. BKTC had given permission to coat the walls of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Temple with a gold layer according to the pious spirit of the donor. It also clarified that the sanctum sanctorum was gold-plated by the donor himself.
The donor got the copper plates prepared by the jewellers and then plated gold layers on them. The donor got these plates installed in the temple through his jewellers. The donor did the entire work from buying gold to installing it on the walls. The temple committee had no direct role in this, BKTC said.
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The donor handed over the official bills and vouchers of the gold and copper plates installed in the sanctum sanctorum to BKTC through his goldsmith after the completion of work. BKTC recorded it in the stock book as per the rules. No condition was placed before BKTC by the donor or any firm for this work done as a donation, nor did the donor ask for a certificate under Section 80 of the Income Tax Act from BKTC.
BKTC further stated that the sanctum sanctorum of Badrinath temple was also studded with gold in 2005 by the same donor. However, currently, many allegations were levelled under a well-planned conspiracy. BKTC said it is the handiwork of people not happy with the record rise in the number of devotees visiting the Kedarnath temple due to improved facilities provided under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
