Over 1,000 kg of Temple Gold Turned into Annual Revenue in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government has effectively utilized unused gold ornaments donated by devotees to temples across the state, turning them into a valuable source of revenue. More than 1,000 kilograms of gold lying unused in 21 major temples were melted down and converted into 24-carat pure gold bars, which were subsequently deposited in banks. The government announced on Thursday that these gold deposits are generating an annual interest income of ₹17.81 crore.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, P.K. Sekar Babu, disclosed these details in a policy document presented in the state legislative assembly. He stated that the gold items offered by devotees, which were neither used for adorning deities nor for other religious purposes, were melted at the government mint in Mumbai and transformed into pure gold bars. These bars were then deposited under the ‘Gold Investment Scheme’ at the State Bank of India (SBI), he explained.

“The interest earned from these deposits is entirely used for development programs of the respective temples,” said P.K. Sekar Babu in the report.

To ensure transparent implementation of this scheme, the government has constituted three regional committees—one for each region in the state. These committees are headed by retired judges.

As per statistics available as of March 31, 2025, the policy document clarified that the 1,074 kilograms of pure gold collected from the 21 temples are generating an annual interest of ₹17.81 crore (₹1,781.25 lakhs), based on the gold value at the time of investment. The highest contribution came from the Arulmigu Mariamman Temple in Samayapuram, Tiruchirappalli district, which provided approximately 424 kilograms of gold.

In addition to the gold, the government has also permitted the melting of unused and non-functional silver items from the temples. This silver will be melted into purified silver bars by authorized private firms under the supervision of the zonal committees led by retired judges. The melting will take place within the temple premises. “This process is currently underway,” the report stated.