BANGKOK, Thailand -- India's Hindu temples possess donated gold which
may equal half of America's Fort Knox bullion, but some are rejecting
demands by the government to reveal the value of their sacred
stockpiles.
"India's Hindu temples are resisting divulging their gold holdings,"
Reuters reported on Sept. 30.
For example one of the holiest Hindu temples in India, Kerala state's
Guruvayur temple, said it would not describe how much its gold was
worth after receiving an official request.
The London-based World Gold Council estimates India's temples possess
2,240 tons worth $84 billion at current prices.
The website of the U.S. Bullion Depository Fort Knox, Kentucky, says
its "present gold holdings" total "147.3 million ounces," or about
4,603 tons.
Fun Facts
Concern about huge caches of temples' gold began two years ago when
the ancient Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum, Kerala,
announced it discovered $20 billion worth of bullion in secret
subterranean vaults.