Delhi devotee gifts ₹2 crore golden Bhagavad Gita to Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt
Udupi: A devotee from Delhi has gifted a Bhagavad Gita engraved on gold sheets, valued at around ₹2 crore, to the Sri Krishna Mutt in Udupi during the World Gita Paryaya celebrations.
According to a report published by News18 on Friday, the golden Bhagavad Gita was offered by Lakshminarayanan, a devotee from Delhi, and was presented at the historic Sri Krishna Math as part of events associated with the Puttige Math tradition.
What makes this Gita truly exceptional is not only its value but its construction. All seven hundred verses across the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita have been engraved on gold-plated pages. The sacred text has been crafted to ensure clarity of the verses while preserving the durability of the gold sheets.
To mark the dedication, a grand procession was organised through Ratha Beedi, the iconic Car Street that circles the temple, before being placed at the Gita Mandir within the Krishna Math.
Senior and junior pontiffs of the Puttige Math participated in the procession. The offering is linked to the Koti Gita Lekhana Yajna, an initiative led by Puttige Math pontiff Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji to encourage devotees to handwrite the Bhagavad Gita.
Temple authorities have prepared a dedicated display area within a museum space at the Krishna Math. The book will be housed in a high security glass enclosure that is both bulletproof and climate controlled, ensuring the gold pages remain protected from damage or theft.
Devotees will be able to view the book safely, making it accessible without compromising its preservation.
Authorities said this is the first time a golden version of the Bhagavad Gita has been formally dedicated to the Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt, adding a unique chapter to the institution’s long spiritual history.
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HC dismisses Abu Salem’s plea seeking immediate release after completing '25 years' in jail
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed gangster Abu Salem’s plea for immediate release, claiming he had served 25 years in jail in India mandated under the terms of his extradition from Portugal.
In his plea, Salem had contended that if remission for good behaviour is included, then his 25-year jail term is complete and hence he ought to be freed.
A bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata said it cannot hold that the 25-year jail term is complete, as it would be premature to say anything at this stage on the point of remission.
The court relied on a Supreme Court judgment wherein it was held that remission of a prisoner would need to be calculated a month before the applicant’s release.
“Therefore, the present petition (filed by Salem) is dismissed,” the court said.
A copy of the detailed order is yet to be made available.
Salem’s plea, filed through advocate Farhana Shah, had said that when he was extradited from Portugal in 2005, India had assured that he would not be handed over the death penalty in any case and that he would not be imprisoned for more than 25 years.
The government had opposed his plea, noting that Salem has spent only 19 years in jail and that a decision on his premature release was pending.
Salem was convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
