What was found in Banke Bihari temple treasury after five decades?

The two-day inspection, which concluded with the treasury being resealed, represents the first comprehensive cataloguing of the temple’s treasures in more than fifty years.

The ‘Toshkhana’ (treasury) of the Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura, locked since 1971, was reopened over the weekend for a second consecutive day to complete inspection work directed by a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee.

The treasury, located adjacent to the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, had remained inaccessible for more than five decades, fueling myths and speculation about its contents.

The inspection was conducted under the supervision of a civil judge (junior division) and the city magistrate, with the participation of members of the high-powered committee, including four representatives from the Goswami community. The committee was constituted by the Supreme Court in August 2025, headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Ashok Kumar, to oversee day-to-day affairs of the temple and ensure transparency in its management.

During the detailed inventory, the team recorded a variety of items:

>> Two copper coins found in one safe

>>Three to four stones discovered in another safe

>> Three silver sticks and one golden stick smeared with gulal, likely used by Shree Bankey Bihari Thakur during Holi celebrations

>> Brass utensils and wooden items, including ceremonial boxes and wooden containers

However, as per officials, no property-related documents or significant valuables such as gold or silver were found in the treasury. On Saturday, the committee initially refrained from entering the basement (tehkhana) after some members reported suffocation concerns. On Sunday, the basement was inspected, but no additional items were discovered.

It should be mentioned here that the reopening of the Toshkhana faced objections from members of the Goswami community.

Shailendra Goswami, a committee member, stated that the treasury should not have been opened, arguing that the interim committee’s mandate is limited to facilitating devotees’ darshans, not interfering with temple property, as per an Indian Express report.

Echoing these concerns, Supreme Court lawyer and temple sewayat Sumit Goswami said that live streaming of the inspection was not conducted, although videography was reportedly done.

Gyanendra Goswami, a temple functionary, criticised the lack of transparency and questioned why media personnel were not allowed to cover the proceedings.

The two-day inspection, which concluded with the treasury being resealed, represents the first comprehensive cataloguing of the temple’s treasures in more than fifty years.

While the items found were largely ceremonial, the exercise has clarified the contents of the treasury, ending decades of speculation and confirming that the collection primarily consists of ritual artifacts rather than substantial wealth or property documents.