Badrinath and Kedarnath Temple Tokens

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Get souvenir coins at Badrinath, Kedarnath

Dehradun
November 28, 2016 | 02:15 PM

Taking inspiration from the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has decided to launch souvenir silver coins with 'Prasad' for pilgrims. The move has been planned to utilize silver stock, lying ideal with the temple committee accumulated in a span of 42 years.

The visitors will be able to buy the silver coins from next year as the BKTC, a state government body managing the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines,  has completed are the formalities for the project. Way back in 1974 the temple committee conducted a similar exercise by selling the valuable metals of their stock at the market price. After that no such operation was conduced.

BKTC's Chief Executive Officer BD Singh said, "We have received the approval from the state government. For coin making we have approached the Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation."

The souvenir coin project is pending since a long time. One decade back a similar plan was formulated,  but the temple committing failed to get approval from the Uttarakhand government.

The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee wants to use its silver stock lying unused in their treasury since 1974 .

Pilgrims visiting Badrinath and Kedarnath makes gold and silver offerings in the two famous Hindu shrines, located in Uttarakhand Himalayas. The valuable metals are stored in the BKTC treasury. According to a rough estimate the temple committee has over 3,500 kg of silver in their stock.

The collection of silver and gold is increasing with each passing year and the BKTC has decided to use it for minting souvenir coins. This will also help the temple committee generate revenue. Thousand of pilgrims annually visit Badrinath and Kedarnath as a part of their Char Dham Yatra.

Source: The Statesman

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They are not coins, of course, but religious medals. The temples are exchanging silver for money in the bank plus a seigniorage, minus manufacturing cost. Changing from commodity to electronics or raking in profits? Much depends on actual silver content and selling price.

Peter