Banke Bihari temple treasury reopens after 54yrs; what was inside
What's the story
The Banke Bihari temple in Mathura, India, opened its treasure rooms for the first time in 54 years on Saturday. The Supreme Court-appointed panel supervised the reopening of the toshkhana, which was last opened in 1971. On the second visit on Sunday, temple priests said they discovered gold and silver bars, gemstones, precious coins, and utensils inside a long box during this historic event.
Treasure findings
Gold and silver bars spotted with gulal
Temple priest Dinesh Goswami told TOI that "one gold bar and three silver bars were spotted with 'gulal' on it." "They were recovered from a long box in the toshkhana," he said. The metals were each roughly 3-4 feet long. In addition to these, a few red and green gemstones, precious coins, and utensils of different metals were also found.
Historical context
What was found on Day 1
On the first day of the exercise, only a few brass utensils and wooden artifacts were discovered. "We discovered several utensils....It seems that they were used by Thakurji (Lord Krishna). It seems they are mostly made of brass and copper but we cannot say anything for sure because they are covered in dust. Looking at the sticks, it seems Thakurji used to play Holi with the silver ones and wore the gold one on Dhureli," Committee member Dinesh Goswami said.
Toshkhana
Team found no property-related documents
The toshkhana was believed to hold rare treasures such as a peacock-shaped emerald necklace, a silver Sheshnag, a golden kalash with navratnas, and royal offerings from Bharatpur, Karauli and Gwalior. It may also contain old land deeds, sealed letters and temple gifts from the 19th century. Contrary to claims, the team found no property-related documents, said a member.
Official
Religious leader writes to CM
According to temple historians, the temple's 19th-century records mention deeds, donation letters, and property ownership papers donated to the temple by many royal families at the time. Religious leader Dinesh Falahari has written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking for a CBI investigation into "large-scale mismanagement and disappearance of temple assets." "Thousands of crores worth of movable and immovable property were donated over the years. Now those papers are nowhere to be found," the letter stated, according to IE.
Hidden wealth
Vaults were last opened in 1971
Committee member Dinesh Goswami said the inspection work inside the toshkhana was completed and "there was nothing left to search." The Banke Bihari temple treasury, built in 1864, has a rich history. It was robbed twice during British rule in 1926 and 1936, after which the doors were sealed. The vaults were last opened in 1971 to transfer jewelry to a bank.