A dispute has erupted over the treasure of Kolkata's revered Kalighat Temple in West Bengal, with allegations of a financial scam and irregularities running into more than Rs 1,000 crore. The city's former zamindar family has now taken the matter to court, demanding legal action to protect the deity's jewellery and valuables.
The Sabarna Roychowdhury Family's Concerns
The Sabarna Roychowdhury family, Kolkata's former zamindars, has raised serious concerns over the safety of the treasure kept inside Kalighat Temple. According to the family, a locker was designated at a government bank specifically to secure the deity's jewellery and valuables, but the key to that locker has been missing since 1980, meaning it has now been untraceable for more than 46 years. The family claims the treasure inside is worth close to Rs 100 crore, and has filed a petition in court demanding legal action over its safety.
What the Family Council's Secretary Claims
Devarshi Roychowdhury, secretary of the Sabarna Roy Choudhury Family Council, said the locker was specifically created to protect the temple's property and the deity's jewellery. But for nearly four decades, there has been no trace of the key. Before the court, the family has posed a direct question: where are the deity's precious belongings right now, and are they actually safe? The family has also filed a written complaint over the matter.
Allegations Against the Property Oversight Committee
In another serious allegation, the family says the committee responsible for maintaining accounts of the temple's properties has also seen its term expire, with no fresh arrangement put in place since. The Sabarna Roychowdhury family has questioned the temple's assets and treasure for a long time, and has now formally raised in court why no account of the jewellery has been given for so many years.
The Religious Significance of Kalighat Temple
Kalighat Temple stands on the banks of the Adi Ganga in Kolkata, West Bengal, and is regarded as one of the 51 Shakti Peethas associated with Goddess Sati. According to belief, the toe and fingers of Sati's right foot fell at this spot. The temple also houses a distinctive idol of Goddess Kali featuring a long golden tongue. This religious and historical significance is precisely what makes the temple's treasure so valuable, and the questions over its safekeeping all the more serious.
What Happens Next
What action follows will now depend entirely on the court's order. The Sabarna Roychowdhury family wants clear answers, and soon, on the missing key, the current status of the deity's jewellery, and the lapsed committee term.
