The famed Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala's Thrissur district has declared that it has over 260 kg of gold in stock. In an RTI (Right to Information Act) reply, the temple authorities said it had 263.637 kg of gold comprising precious stones, coins, and nearly 20,000 gold lockets. The temple had recently revealed that it had bank deposits to the tune of over Rs 1,700 crore.
The temple management had earlier refused to give details due to security reasons.
The RTI document, provided after an appeal, showed that the temple owned 6,605 kg of silver, 19,981 gold lockets and 5,359 silver lockets.
The temple management said that the total value of the gold and silver could not be determined since the antiquity of some of them had not been established.
In December last, the RTI revealed that the temple had bank deposits to the tune of Rs 1,737.04 crore and 271.05 acres of land, the value of which was yet to be assessed.
The centuries-old shrine, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Krishna, attracts thousands of people from across the country every year.
The details of the assets were given following an RTI query from MK Haridas of Guruvayur and the president of an organisation named Proper Channel.
Haridas alleged the development of the shrine, and the welfare of the devotees had been neglected by the temple management, prompting him to seek the details through RTI.