An anonymous trader from south India has made a secret donation (gupt daan) of a staggering 60 kg of gold to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The secret donation was confirmed by Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal.
Of the 60 kg, 37 kg of gold has already been used to plate the inner walls of the temple. A team of 10 artisans completed the gold plating work in 30 hours. The remaining 23 kg will be used to plate the pillars and parts of the garbhagriha, where the Shivling is placed.
The donation was made one and a half months ago and the first phase of the work was completed on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Varanasi for a rally and offered prayers at the temple.
According to Kashi Vishwanath Trust sources, the anonymous donor had come in contact with the temple authorities months before the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Delhi-based firm undertook the gold plating work, reported the Indian Express.
While there is no official statement from the authorities regarding the details of the donor, according to the Economic Times, BJP sources have said the anonymous devotee is a follower of PM Modi and has made the donation equivalent to the weight of his mother Hiraben.
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