22-kg gold 'Kalash' installed at Pune's Sant Dnyaneshwar Temple

PUNE: A 22-kg golden 'kalash' (urn) was recently installed atop the samadhi temple of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj at Alandi in a grand ceremony attended by political leaders, trustees, and devotees.

The 'kalash' has been crafted by city-based Shripad Shankar Nagarkar Jewellers and it is made entirely from devotees’ contributions. It was installed with rituals, taken in a traditional 'nagar pradakshina,' and later handed over by the Nagarkar family to the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Sansthan Committee, a statement issued by Nagarkar stated.Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, District and Sessions Judge Mahendra Mahajan, MP Shrirang Barne, MLAs Uma Khapre, Bapusaheb Pathare, and Mahesh Landge, and temple trustees, including Yogi Niranjannath and Adv.

Rajendra Umap was present. CM Fadnavis and other dignitaries also felicitated Vasant Nagarkar, Prasad Nagarkar, and Pushkar Nagarkar for their craftsmanship.

Temple officials said that after the creation of the 'kalash' was formally entrusted to the jewelers on August 8, a team of 22–25 artisans worked on two sections—the spire and the urn—to complete the structure using 22 kg of pure gold.“This is not just an ornament for the temple but a spiritual crown for Maharashtra’s cultural and devotional traditions,” said Vasant Nagarkar in the statement, adding that the family considered the opportunity a blessing from Sant Dnyaneshwar.

The installation coincided with the 750th anniversary year of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj's birth, making the moment even more significant for devotees. “The golden kalash symbolizes faith, tradition, and devotion, and will remain etched in Maharashtra’s spiritual history,” said Prasad Nagarkar.