Adulterated silver found in offerings at Vaishno Devi temple

• Out of 20 tonnes of silver, only 6 tonnes found to be genuine

• Toxic metal cadmium found mixed in the silver

Katra (Jammu) – A recent verification has revealed that a large portion of the silver offered by devotees at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple was not genuine. Instead, it was found to be adulterated with cheaper metals, including the highly toxic metal cadmium.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board had sent approximately 20 tonnes of donated metal to a government mint for melting and extraction of silver. However, the verification results were shocking. Tests showed that only about 5–6% of the total metal was genuine silver, while the remaining portion consisted of cheaper metals such as cadmium and iron. In other words, the silver that devotees had been offering with faith turned out to be largely adulterated.

🚨 ‘Silver’ offered by devotees at Mata Vaishno Devi Temple found to be adulterated

Nearly 20 tonnes of donated “silver” sent for processing reportedly contained only 5–6% real silver.

The remaining composition was largely cadmium and iron, materials that cost a fraction of… pic.twitter.com/kokb8l65IL

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) April 22, 2026

Huge difference in value

In the market, silver is priced between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹2.75 lakh per kilogram, whereas cadmium costs only around ₹500 per kilogram. Due to this massive price difference, donations previously estimated at hundreds of crores have now been significantly devalued. In one example, only 3 kilograms of pure silver could be extracted from 70 kilograms of metal. Moreover, it took officials several months to separate the adulterated material.

Health risks

Cadmium is a highly toxic metal primarily used in industry. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has imposed strict regulations on its use in everyday products. According to experts, when cadmium is heated (such as during metal melting), the fumes released can damage the lungs, affect the kidneys, and increase the risk of cancer over time. For this reason, mint officials initially hesitated to accept the metal. The process was later completed using special safety measures and equipment.

Environmental impact

Experts have warned that improper disposal of metals like cadmium can contaminate air and water, leading to serious environmental consequences.

Major questions raised by the incident

1. Are adulterated silver items being sold to devotees without their knowledge?

2. Are the silver coins, ornaments, or utensils sold from Katra to the Bhavan also adulterated?

3. Are devotees themselves unknowingly offering low-quality (adulterated) silver?

Editorial Perspective

• What should be inferred from this? Did devotees knowingly offer fake silver, or were they sold counterfeit silver by traders?
• Such practices may also be occurring in other temples and in the broader market. Therefore, there is a need for a nationwide investigation into the silver trade by the CBI.