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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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
