Gwalior, Aug 30 Idols of deities Radha and Krishna in Gwalior's famous Gopal Mandir were adorned with diamonds, gold, and silver jewellery worth nearly Rs 100 crore, owned by the erstwhile Scindia royal family, on the occasion of Janmashtami.
The temple, built by Scindia Maharajas of Gwalior, is one of the top attractions for devout, especially on Janmashtami.
A large number of security personnel are deployed on the occasion to protect this temple in the Phool Bagh area, and its riches.
In 1921, the then Maharaj Madho Rao Scindia got it temple renovated and made preparations for making ornaments for the deities.
Before Independence, this temple was looked after by servitors of of the princely state. After Independence, the Scindias handed over these ornaments to the government, and the Municipal Corporation keeps them safe in a bank locker.
People associated with the temple say that pearls, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, topaz and sapphires are used in the jewellery.
On the occasion of Janmashtami, along with the decoration of the temple, the idols of Lord Krishna and Radha are specially decorated with this jewellery, brought there under heavy security.
The jewellery with which Lord Krishna is adorned comprises of a gold crown, sporting feathers made of topaz, with rubies and emeralds in the middle. On the back of the crown, there are precious pearls and gems. Along with this earrings with emeralds are worn on both the ears. Along with a gold bracelet, Lord Krishna is also adorned with seven necklaces comprising 62 pearls, 55 emeralds and diamonds.
Similarly, for the Radha idol, there is a 'Radha Rani' crown of 23 carat gold in which the precious stones are embedded. A gold nose ring along with a five-string necklace studded with 249 white pearls is around her neck.
After the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, the doors of the Gopal Mandir would be opened for all devotees. Apart from the security deployment, CCTV cameras have also been installed to monitor the activities in the temple.
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