According to reports, the gold at the major temples like the Tirumala in Andhra and other leading shrines are worth trillions of dollars.
Gold demand is cited as a major reason for rise in import of the precious metal, which is also one of the main reasons for the current account deficit (CAD) that has widened to a record 4.8 per cent of GDP in last fiscal.
India is the largest consumer of gold and last year the country shipped in 860 tonnes. It is estimated that the country sits over more than 30,000 tonne gold.
The RBI and the government have already taken various steps to control the gold import with a view to check CAD. The Centre recently raised customs duty on gold to 10 per cent. The government has targeted a CAD at 3.7 per cent of GDP, or USD 70 billion, this fiscal against a record 4.8 per cent or USD 88.2 billion last fiscal.
However, traditional trustees of the Guruvayur temple, who are the permanent members of the managing committee, will be meeting soon to discuss the matter, sources said.
Located in the Thrissur district in central Kerala, the Guruvayur temple is one of the richest shrines in the country, which has at its disposal vast reserves of gold and other valuables, offered by devotees over the years.
“We have a system to properly account the gold and other precious articles gifted to the temple by devotees of Lord Guruvayurappan. They are kept in lockers and records are well maintained,” a temple official said.
The Hindu outfits in the state have come out strongly against the RBI move, alleging foul-play behind it.
A joint memorandum has been given by various Hindu outfits, some of them non-political, urging the Guruvayur temple administration to ignore the circular, sources said.
