Pashupatinath riches under scanner

BABURAM KHAREL

KATHMANDU, Oct 18 - It is generally believed that there is a large treasure trove at Pashupatinath temple that includes rare diamonds, gold and silver. But there is no record of the extent of this treasure. With new thinking evolving on the subject of age-old cultural traditions ...

Neither are there records of everyday offerings in cash and kind made by the devotees visiting the country's holiest Hindu shrine. Some estimates put this at millions.

"The tradition of keeping precious items and wealth in store forever should be ended, some of it needs to be kept in a museum with high security, and other valuables should be utilised for generating income in the light of the changed context," said Narottam Vaidya, a member of Pashupatinath Area Development Trust (PADT).

It is believed that precious items, including several nagmani, a rare pearl, masks made of rudrakshya (a nut commonly used as religious beads), gold and silver ornaments and coins have been lying in the temple's stores since centuries ago when a modern banking system did not exist.

There are also unsolved cases of disappearance of some of the precious items from the store. For instance, a rare diamond that dates back hundreds of years is said to have gone missing. According to Vaidya, Krishna Man Bishet, a former chief caretaker of the temple, recorded more than 60 years ago that this rare diamond was in the temple store (located inside the temple). But no one knows whether it is there or not today.

Vaidya says that this particular diamond, along with other precious items, was brought to Pashupatinath temple from nearby Jayabageshwori temple for security reasons during the reign of Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher.

Biset had told Vaidya that the diamond had been sent to Britain for examination in 1946 to evaluate its worth. A British company had verified that the diamond was indeed of a very rare quality.

Some people suspect that the diamond might have already been stolen and taken by the then king, says another member of PADT requesting anonymity.

"So many valuables are stored inside the temple without proper care to ensure they do not vanish," says Vaidya. "They need to be preserved for future generations.

Gold and silver items could be converted into cash and invested in businesses that will bring returns for the public good.

"The temple can establish a university and a hospital on its own and generate income like some rich Indian temples do," he said.

In Nepal it is said that the wealth of the Pashupatinath temple can only be used during a period of national crisis.  But there has been no instance of this wealth ever being used in such a way.

As per tradition, only two persons--the chief of the storekeepers, or Bhandaris as they are known and the chief caretaker of the temple--can enter the temple's stores. But they too have no right to take things from there. The two of them update the record of the contents of the store once a year in the presence of a representative from Guthi Sansthan and other government authorities, according to Hem Raj Subedi, general manager of Guthi Sansthan.

"Due to lack of clear-cut regulations and deep-rooted traditions, there is a growing dilemma about caretaking the store," says Subedi. "The government needs to take a concrete step to address this issue.

None of the storekeepers, caretakers or priests of the temple was available for comment.

This is not the first time that the issue of examining Pashupatinath temple's riches has come up. In earlier instances, whenever the issue came up there would be strong opposition from the Bhandaris, and the Bhattas, as the temple priests from south India are known.

The Bhattas are said to pocket the everyday offerings made at the temple. "I have heard that one former Bhatta owns at least five luxury hotels and property worth millions in India," said Vaidya. Whenever the issue of the income of the Bhattas came up in the past they sought the king's protection. The reigning king used to appoint five Bhattas who come from south India.

Efforts had also been made to make the Bhattas salaried employees like in the more renowned Indian temples. But they would always resist such suggestions and threaten action from the palace or they would warn of supernatural intervention causing harm to the country if such arrangements were put in place, says a member of PADT.

"There had even been attempts to appoint temple priests from among Nepali citizens but nothing came of it," he says.  He, however, added that PADT is not against the tradition of bringing Indian priests to Pashupatinath temple. "But giving them a free hand over the offerings made to the temple needs to be revised," he added.

Asked about the upcoming plans in this connection, member secretary of PADT Nirmal Kuinkel said that the Trust has been working on regulations to keep the temple treasures in a museum. "PADT will take the initiative to break the tradition and put the temple's assets to use for the public good," he said.