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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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
