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Kashi Vishwanath temple to glitter with gold ornaments

Embellishments were stolen from the temple on January 5, 1983

Varanasi: Nearly 23 years after being robbed by bandits of its golden embellishments, the world famous Kashi Vishwanath temple here is set to regain its past golden glory, courtesy a recent Allahabad High Court verdict.

The High Court, while hearing a PIL filed by former Uttar Pradesh Minister Shatrudhra Prakash on August 29 last, directed the Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi, also the ex-officio chairman of Temple Trust Executive, to move an application before the concerned court for the passage of the gold ornaments from the district treasury to the famous temple, Mr Prakash said here on Sunday.

The division bench comprising Justices Balwir Singh Chauhan and Pankaj Mittal also ordered the entire exercise to be completed expeditiously, Mr Prakash said.

The ornaments were stolen from the temple on January 5, 1983, following which the holy city witnessed a major turmoil. The golden valuables, however, were recovered 17 days later from the miscreants, Mr Prakash recounted.

The accused were sent to jail by the order of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Varanasi) on September 2000. The same court also ordered the golden embellishment be released from the district treasury in favour of the temple.

The burglary at the temple resulted in the Uttar Pradesh Government taking over the administration of the temple in 1983 following which the valuables were lying in the district treasury.

Taking note of the religious sentiments over the delay in reinstallation of valuables at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Mr Prakash, also a ruling Samajwadi Party leader filed a PIL in the HC earlier this year seeking the valuables be returned to temple.

"I wrote a number of times to State Principal Secretary (Religious Affairs) and Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi over the matter and when nothing concrete came out of the exercise, I moved the High Court," Mr. Prakash, who has also filed complaints with State Information Commission alleging irregularities in the management of the famed temple said.

"The High Court order has fulfilled the long-standing aspirations of countless devotees of seeing back the golden embellishment to the temple." he added. -- UNI

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