Editor’s Note
The Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain has introduced an advanced Caratometer machine to ensure transparency in assessing the purity of gold and silver donations. This move marks a significant step toward accountability in temple offerings.
The world-renowned Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee has taken a major step towards making the checking of gold and silver jewelry received as donations completely transparent. Now, an advanced Caratometer machine, ‘XRF’ (X-ray Fluorescence), will be used to check the purity of valuable jewelry coming into the temple. This machine will determine the quality and carat of donated gold and silver within minutes.
Deputy Administrator of Mahakal Temple and Deputy Collector Simmi Yadav said that the temple management committee has procured this advanced Caratometer machine from Maharashtra at a cost of about ₹15 lakh through CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds. The machine has arrived at the temple premises, and its operation will begin from Monday after necessary preparations are completed.
She stated that with this initiative, Mahakal Temple will join the select few temples in the country where modern technology is being used to test valuable jewelry received as donations.
The biggest feature of the Caratometer machine is that it provides accurate information about the purity, carat, and quantity of other metals present in any gold or silver jewelry without cutting, grinding, or melting it.
According to the temple administration, any devotee who donates gold or silver jewelry will now have their items tested in front of the donor. This will make the donation process completely transparent, and the information recorded in the temple’s records will remain fully authentic.
Until now, three receipts were made for gold and silver jewelry received as donations. With one receipt, the jewelry was stored in the temple’s treasury. After that, the temple’s authorized three-member goldsmith committee would check the jewelry and decide whether the donated metal was pure gold or silver.
The entire process was completed under CCTV camera surveillance and in the presence of Deputy Collector-level officials.
An air-conditioned room is being prepared for the Caratometer machine in the temple premises. It is likely that this room will be ready by Monday. After that, the machine will start regular operation.
Deputy Administrator Simmi Yadav said:
