The importance of gold in Hindu and Indian lore is beyond normal imagination

 

The importance of gold in Hindu and Indian lore is beyond normal imagination.

Hiranyaretas the one who is having gold (molten) as semen is an epithet attributed to Lord Shiva, Agni, Sun and Adityas.

Hiranyaretas is a word used in the celebrated Adityahridayam of Ramayanam.

The Goddess of wealth Lakshmi is Hiranyavarana, Hiranmayee

When the parents give a girl in marriage, the Vedas prescribe that they must decorate her with as much gold ornaments as possible.

The Kanyakaadaanam mantram is-

कन्यां कनकसंपन्नां कनकाभरणैर्युताम् । दास्यामि विष्णवे तुभ्यं ब्रह्मलोकजिगीषया ॥ विश्वंभरः सर्वभूतसाक्षिण्यः सर्वदेवताः । इमां कन्यां प्रदास्यामि पितृणां तारणाय च ॥

"Respected Groom, you are Lord Vishnu Himself. I am giving you as a solemn gift the nubile girl who is very rich in Gold, whom we have decked with huge quantity of Gold ornaments. I am making this gift because I am desirous of attaining brahmaloka. May all the gods and the Supreme Being who occupies and holds this universe in place be witnesses to this gift. I am presenting this female child to this groom so that the departed souls of my family may attain eternal deliverance."

Every gift or Dakshina of offering made to God or other exalted persons whom we revere as God, was in gold or content of gold that formed part of that coin or material.

हिरण्यगर्भ गर्भस्तं हेमबीजम् विभावसोः अनन्तपुण्य फलदं . Here again the gold is treated as the semen of Vibhaavas or Fire.

I was just mentioning this because the emotional attachment of an Indian to Gold is not just materialistic.