Following the controversy over gold and silver donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the management of the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain has decided to adopt new technology to strengthen devotees' trust. Gold and silver ornaments offered by devotees at the temple will now be checked for purity within minutes using a modern caratometer machine, with the testing carried out in the presence of the donor.
A Rs 15 lakh machine, starting July 20
The Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee has procured a caratometer machine costing around Rs 15 lakh for this purpose. According to the temple administration, the machine will begin operating within the temple premises from July 20. The move is aimed at making the verification of donated ornaments fully transparent, leaving devotees with no room for doubt.
Purity checked in minutes, without any damage
The biggest feature of the caratometer machine is that it can determine an ornament's purity, karat value and the presence of other metals within minutes, without causing any damage to the item. This means any devotee who donates gold or silver at the temple will have it tested on the spot, right in front of them. This is expected to boost both transparency and trust in the donation process.
How the process worked until now
Until now, ornaments received as donations at the temple were first kept safely in a storehouse called the kothar. A three-member committee would then examine the ornaments to determine their purity. This entire process was carried out under camera surveillance and the supervision of officials at the level of a deputy collector. With the new machine in place, the same process will now become faster and more accurate.
A special air-conditioned room being built for the machine
A special air-conditioned room is being set up within the temple premises to operate the machine. The administration says that as soon as the test is done, the devotee will immediately get proof of exactly how many karats their ornament is and which metals it is mixed with. This is expected to bring complete transparency to the temple's donation records and almost eliminate the possibility of any discrepancy or dispute.
