In a bid to keep the official record of silver, gold and diamond offered by devotees to Bageshwori Temple in Nepalgunj, Banke, the temple management committee has decided to open the three safes where the valuables are being kept for safekeeping. 

The committee’s meeting on Sunday decided to open the safes and make public their contents after many years. The safes, which are being kept at the District Land Revenue Office, will be opened on Wednesday. 

Advocates Bal Bahadur Chand and Lok Bahadur Shah had filed a writ at the High Court demanding that the contents of the safes are made public. 

The writ was filed against the temple management committee, the temple’s priest, chief district officer and the chief of the District Land Revenue Office. 

The Nepalgunj bench of the High Court last year had ordered the temple to disclose the contents in the safes and take appropriate step to manage them. A committee has been formed under Nepalgunj Mayor Dhawal Shumsher Rana to open and manage the contents in the safes.

There is a long-standing tradition of offering statues of gold and silver to the temple during various religious festivals like Shivaratri and Ram Nawami. The temple, however, does not have any official record of the offerings. 

“The temple management committee has been working to keep record of the properties and income of the temple. The quantity and worth of the valuables offered by devotees will be known after the safes are opened on Wednesday,” said Advocate Chand.