95% of silver in Vaishno Devi temple is fake! Investigations warn of cancer risk
Every year, millions of devotees visit the Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir and offer silver to her. However, it is now emerging that these devotees are being defrauded. This is because the government mint recently tested several tons of silver offered at the temple and found that these items contained only 5-6% silver, with the rest being cadmium and iron. These items are very low in value compared to the actual silver. Media reports have made this claim, citing senior mint officials.
Media reports suggest that no such adulteration has been reported at other major religious institutions, such as the Tirupati, Siddhivinayak, Guruvayur Devaswom, or Srikalahasti Temple. This raises suspicion that jewelers located along the Mata Vaishno Devi corridor may be selling adulterated silver items to pilgrims.
Fraud worth crores in the name of silver
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sent approximately 20 tons of silver to the government mint for standard melting and storage. The Shrine Board had expected to receive approximately ₹500-₹550 crore worth of silver based on the market price, but initial investigations revealed that the amount may be barely ₹30 crore.
Silver is currently priced at ₹2.75 per kilogram, while cadmium, which looks similar to it, is available for just ₹400-₹500. Cadmium can be mistaken for silver to the naked eye. Its presence in silver offerings also poses a health risk. This is because it emits a cancer-causing gas, which has led the Bureau of Indian Standards to ban its use in items commonly used by the public.
It's worth noting that the mint had previously refused to test silver offerings due to this cadmium content, as cadmium releases toxic, cancer-causing fumes when silver is melted. Therefore, the work began only after the mint received specialized equipment and carefully separated items containing more silver.
What action was taken?
The Government Mint has formally raised this issue several times over the past year. The Mint has written letters to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. However, no written action has yet been taken by either side. In the letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Mint expressed concern about cadmium contamination in silver items. The Mint also cited the highly toxic nature of cadmium and its potential health risks, as well as health concerns arising from air and water pollution.
