Kerala Temples Shine in Gold: Devotees Pour in Tonnes of Precious Metal Despite Record Prices
KOCHI: Even as gold prices soar to break records, the temples of Kerala continue to glitter, fueled by the unwavering devotion of millions of faithful worshippers. Data shows that the offerings of precious metals like gold and silver have seen no decline, even as the value of the metals climbs steeply.
The Guruvayur Temple continues to be a major recipient of valuable metal offerings. Annually, devotees offer between 20 to 25 kilograms of gold and 120 to 150 kilograms of silver to the temple. In October 2025 alone, the temple received 2.58 kg of gold and 9.31 kg of silver.
The Sabarimala Temple, which is open only for about three months during the main pilgrimage season, receives approximately 15 kilograms of gold in that short window. Across Kerala, over 3,000 temples receive precious metals in various forms, including ornaments, coins, idols, and ceremonial objects.
India’s Massive Religious Gold Hoard
Kerala contributes significantly to India’s gold requirement (25-28% of the country’s annual consumption of 600–800 tonnes), according to the World Gold Council (WGC). The report notes that temples, churches, and religious institutions receive substantial gold donations. The WGC estimates that temples across India may hold a staggering 2,000–4,000 tonnes of gold reserves, potentially increasing from an estimated 1,000 tonnes before 1968. The report further suggests that 1,000–3,000 tonnes of this reserve may have been contributed by private individuals.
Monetisation and Earnings
V.K. Vijayan, Chairman of the Guruvayur Devaswom, stated that most of the gold received by the temple is in the form of ornaments and other articles. “The majority of the gold we receive falls under various categories. We deposit it with the SBI Mumbai branch, where it is converted into gold bars. We also receive an annual interest of around 2–2.5 per cent on the value of the deposited gold,” he explained.
Vijayan also mentioned that silver, which was previously stored in strong rooms without being monetised, is now being processed. “Recently, we deposited around 5 tonnes of silver at the SBI Hyderabad branch, where it was converted into bars. We are currently awaiting permission from authorities to auction it via the bank,” he added.
Focus on Formalisation
The public scrutiny on temple wealth increased following the revelation of the vast treasures of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in 2009. Consequently, when the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) was introduced in 2015, the focus shifted to how temples across India could contribute their gold reserves to the formal economy.
According to the latest audit report (2020-21) of the Guruvayur temple, 834 kilograms of gold have been deposited with the State Bank of India under the GMS, yielding an annual interest of approximately ₹5.4 crore.
In 2023, the Kerala High Court permitted the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to deposit 535 kilograms of temple gold with the State Bank of India under the GMS for a five-year period. In 2024, the Board transferred 467 kilograms of gold to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
As part of this process, the TDB, under the supervision of the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, has ensured precise documentation and preservation of its precious assets by categorizing the gold stored across its 18 strong rooms into Category A (Historical Treasures), Category B (Daily Ritual Assets), and Category C (Miscellaneous gold fragments).
