Gold Reserves in Telangana Temples Revealed, Rajanna Temple in Vemulawada tops
NEWS CHARIOT (HYDERABAD,JAN.7) : The endowment department of Telangana has disclosed the gold and silver reserves across the state’s temples. The Rajanna Temple in Vemulawada tops the list with 97 kg of gold, followed by Bhadrachalam Temple with 67 kg and Yadagirigutta Temple with 61 kg. Across all temples, a total of 1,048 kg of gold and 38,783 kg of silver have been accounted for.
Key Gold and Silver Reserves in Major Temples
- Gold:
- Rajanna Temple: 97 kg
- Bhadrachalam Temple: 67 kg
- Yadagirigutta Temple: 61 kg
- Silver:
- Rajanna Temple: 4,930 kg
- Yadagirigutta Temple: 2,312 kg
- Bhadrachalam Temple: 980 kg
Temples are classified under different administrative cadres:
- RJC (Regional Joint Commissioner) Cadre: 226 kg of gold, 8,224 kg of silver
- DC (District Commissioner) Cadre: 53 kg of gold, 3,331 kg of silver
- AC (Assistant Commissioner) Cadre: 91 kg of gold, 4,415 kg of silver
- Category 6 (A, B, C, D): 453 kg of gold, 22,811 kg of silver
Guidelines for Gold Usage
Gold and silver reserves are stored in SBI lockers, and their usage is strictly regulated:
- Only the offerings given by devotees can be melted, and even then, only with the approval of a three-member committee.
- Historical and sacred ornaments, crowns, and other relics are not melted.
Recent approvals include:
- Yadagirigutta Temple: 61 kg of gold offerings were melted for the gold-plated temple dome.
- Mahankali Temple: Gold offerings were used for the temple’s “Bonalu.”
Proposals to melt gold from other temples, like the Rajanna Temple, are pending government approval. Past incidents, like the controversial melting of gold from the Durga Devi Temple in Edupayala, led to stricter regulations and oversight by the committee.
The government aims to ensure transparency and preserve the sanctity of these offerings while utilizing them responsibly for temple development.
