Souvenirs Plan for Indian Temple Treasures

THE NATIONAL

Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram,
where a treasure trove was discovered in underground vaults.

INDIA---The state of Himachal Pradesh is set to allow temple trusts to turn tonnes of the gold and silver in their coffers into mementoes. The precious metals in the treasuries of 20 government-controlled Hindu temples would be used for making souvenirs for sale, said Rakesh Kanwar, director of the Language Art and Culture Department. The practice is already in place at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Kashmir. According to the government proposal, only 50 per cent of the gold and silver in a temple would be converted into coins and mementoes. "Of the remaining 50 per cent, 10 per cent is to be kept with the temple trust, 20 per cent will be invested in gold bonds of the State Bank of India and the remaining will be used to adorn the deities," said an official. [link]