Koppal, May 11 -- A major controversy has erupted surrounding donations made to the famous Anjanadri Hill temple, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, after ornaments claimed to be worth Rs 2.5 crore in gold were allegedly found to be gold-plated copper items during official verification.

The incident came to light after Hyderabad-based businessman Mahesh Reddy donated a decorative crown arch, chakra and gada to the temple on May 8. The businessman had visited the temple along with Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy, who had publicly stated that his close associate had donated gold ornaments worth around Rs 2.5 crore to the deity.

However, before officially accepting the ornaments into the government treasury, district autho...