VARANASI, Oct. 19 -- The Silver coated idol of Goddess Maa Annapurna, housed in a temple located in Ishan Kon (the north-east corner ) of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises, has been coated with gold, the temple administration said in a statement on Saturday.

A new chapter in the splendor and grandeur of the ancient idol began in 2025, when silver plated stone idol and the temple it resides in were adorned with gold from top to base, according to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple administration.

The distribution of a symbolic "treasure trove" to devotees from the treasury of the Maa Annapurna Temple began on Dhanteras (October 18) and will continue until October 22, the day of Annakut. The prasad, given as part of this tradition, ...