VARANASI: An anonymous trader hailing from south India has made a secret donation (gupt daan) of 60 kg of gold to plate the sanctum sanctorum of Kashi Vishwanath temple. Of this, 37 kg equals to the weight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Hiraben. This has been used to plate the inner walls of the sanctum sanctorum.
Despite the donor requesting anonymity, the glitter of gold could not be hid and it was evident recently when PM Modi offered obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum during his visit to Varanasi on February 27.
Till then, pilgrims arriving here had been getting a glimpse of the glitter while offering prayers through ‘jharokha darshan’ (seeing the deity from a window) after the work of gold plating commenced.
The donation of gold was confirmed by Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal. “Of the 60 kg gold received from an anonymous donor, 37 kg has been used for covering the inner walls of the sanctum sanctorum. The remaining 23 kg will be used for covering the lower portion of the golden dome of the main structure,” said Agarwal.
As per Kashi Vishwanath Trust sources, the donor had come in contact with temple authorities months before the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham by PM Modi on December 13, 2021. Sources claimed that a Delhi-based firm was engaged for the gold plating work. “Work started on a Friday and was completed by Sunday,” said Agarwal.