New Delhi [India], June 25 : The alleged theft of massive funds and accounting irregularities in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir temple has shaken the sentiment of crores of pilgrims and communities who donated their hard earned money to build the temple.
Among all the contributions, a donation made by the Sindhi community of worth 200 kg of silver bricks are viral everywhere from general public to social media.
The community is now asking for clarity about the present location and status of the silver donation from the key constituent Champat Rai and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
According to claims made by members of the Sindhi community, people from across the world had travelled to Ayodhya and handed over the silver bricks to Champat Rai Bansal during the temple donation process. They have alleged that no formal receipt was provided for the donation and are seeking information about what happened to the silver bricks.
Estimated Value of 200 Kg Silver
As the value of the donation depends on the prevailing silver market rate. If we take an approximate silver price of ₹1.10 lakh per kilogram (as market prices fluctuate daily), the calculation comes to:
200 kg × ₹1,10,000 per kg = ₹2.2 crore
This means the 200 kg silver bricks could have an estimated value of around ₹2 crore to ₹2.5 crore, depending on the exact silver purity and market price at the time of valuation.
If the silver was of high purity (such as 999 fine silver), the value could be closer to the upper range.
Question over Transparency
The Sindhi community has said it wants transparency regarding the donation and is asking whether the silver bricks were stored, used, melted, or incorporated into any temple-related work.
The matter has sparked discussion among community members, who are seeking official clarification about the status of the silver donation made more than three years ago.
Need for Official Response
As questions continue, the community is awaiting a clear response on the handling of the 200 kg silver bricks and whether records related to the donation are available.
Transparency in handling large religious donations remains an important issue, especially when contributions come from devotees across the world.
Latest development in SIT probe
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by Uttar Pradesh government is probing alleged misappropriation of donations. The SIR has submitted its preliminary report to the UP government. SIT has flagged several security and accounting lapses and recommended filing FIRs against more than 20 people. It's notable that despite the huge theft, no First Information Report (FIR) has been filled.
Meanwhile, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has been consistently vocal regarding the theft of offerings from the donation box at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
Interacting with media earlier today, he said,
"How can the very person who committed the theft conduct the investigation? Since the Uttar Pradesh and Central governments are responsible for the arrangements there, why should they be the ones to investigate? The investigation should be conducted by someone who is not already aligned with that side—someone who is impartial. What expectation of justice can one have from the government? A cover-up is taking place in the name of an investigation.”
Ends.
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