The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the state of Uttar Pradesh has got a complete golden makeover as the gold plating of the lower portion of the temple Shikhara and the door frames concluded on Tuesday.
According to the reports, 23 kgs of gold was used to decorate the lower portion of the temple Shikhara. However, the process of restoration of the outer artistic walls is underway and will take some more time.
KVT dome starts glittering with 23kg gold pic.twitter.com/2RlioAZDpU
— Government of UP (@UPGovt) June 8, 2022
Earlier in March this year, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple was decorated with 37 kgs of gold. The gold was used to decorate the inner walls of the sanctum of the temple. This is after an anonymous donor had donated 60 kgs of gold to Kashi Vishwanath Temple out of which 37 kgs of gold was utilized for the purpose on March 1, 2022.
A special team from Gujarat and Delhi was called for glittering the inner portion of the temple. Reportedly, the balance of 23 kgs of gold was to be used for covering the lower portion of the temple Shikhara.
An anonymous donor had donated 60 kgs of gold to the Kashi Vishwanath temple months before the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in December 2021. The temple authorities had then decided to finalize the plan of gold plating the inner walls of the sanctum sanctorum and the lower portion of the main temple.
Kashi Vishwanath gets a Golden Makeover
— The Uttar Pradesh Index (@theupindex) February 28, 2022
Ahead of Maha Shivratri tomorrow, Garbh Grih in Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been decorated with 60 kg gold donated by an anonymous Bhakt from South India
Before this, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh had donated gold for temple’s Shikhar in 1853 pic.twitter.com/I9gK4EUSId
The project of gold plating the temple had begun in three phases. The walls were first covered with a coated plastic layer, then with the copper sheets, and finally with the gold sheets. According to reports, temple authorities had planned to undertake the project 6 years ago. An estimate of Rs 42 crores was also approved for the purpose. But the plan was put on hold since the IIT (BHU) at Varanasi had said in its report that the age-old temple was not capable of bearing the load.
Pertinently, this is the second time major work being done to gold plate the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Earlier in the 18th century, Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of Punjab had donated one ton of gold for specifically covering two of the temple Shikharas.
It is pertinent to note that Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year expanded the Kashi Vishwanath Temple area from 2,700 sq ft to 5 lakh sq ft under the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor project worth Rs 900 crores. The BJP-led government established direct connectivity between the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and River Ganga through Jalasen, Manikarnika, and Lalita ghats.
A committee of 10 people was working in two shifts to execute the gold plating project which completed on June 7. Now, with the completion of the gold-plating, the project of restoration of the artistic wall has begun in the premises. According to the reports, the artistic walls will be restored after the removal of the harmful enamel paint. The project aims completion by the end of June 2022.
