Key Points
- Over 4.5 kg of gold worth approximately ₹4.37 crore mysteriously disappeared from the gold-plated copper coverings of Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala temple during a 2019 re-plating process.
- The Kerala High Court has described the discrepancies as “of the gravest order” and ordered a comprehensive vigilance probe to be completed within three weeks.
- Original weight of the plates was 42.8 kg in 2019, but when delivered to Chennai-based Smart Creations for re-plating, they weighed only 38.258 kg.
- The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) failed to document the weight upon reinstallation and removed the coverings without informing the Special Commissioner.
- The gold plating, which came with a 40-year warranty, developed defects within just 6 years, raising additional questions about the quality and authenticity of the work.
Thiruvananthapuram: A major controversy has erupted at Kerala’s revered Sabarimala temple after over 4.5 kilograms of gold, worth approximately ₹4.37 crore, mysteriously vanished from the sacred Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols. The Kerala High Court has taken serious cognizance of what it termed “alarming and unexplained” discrepancies, ordering an immediate vigilance investigation.
The scandal dates back to 2019 when the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) removed gold-plated copper coverings from the Dwarapalaka idols for re-plating. According to official records, the plates weighed 42.8 kg when removed from the temple, but when they reached Chennai-based Smart Creations for the re-plating work, their weight had mysteriously dropped to just 38.258 kg.
Court Flags “Gravest Irregularities”
A division bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar expressed grave concern over the handling of the sacred items. The court noted that the reduction could only have occurred from the gold cladding itself and raised the possibility that an entirely different set of copper plates may have been substituted.
“This is an alarming discrepancy demanding a detailed enquiry,” the bench stated, criticizing the “casual manner” in which the precious items were handled. The judges particularly condemned the failure to document the weight upon reinstallation, calling it a “serious flaw” that could be “intentional” to prevent the discovery of the missing gold.
Sponsor’s Claims Add to Confusion
The re-plating work was sponsored by Bengaluru-based devotee Unnikrishnan Potty, who has now been made a respondent in the case. Potty has claimed that not only is gold missing, but the pedestal coverings of the idols are also unaccounted for. The court noted significant delays, with over a month passing between the removal of plates and their delivery to the Chennai company.
The controversy has deepened with revelations that the gold plating, which came with a 40-year warranty, developed defects within just six years, prompting the latest repair attempt. The court has directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to investigate whether a second set of Dwarapalaka idols is being held in the temple’s strong room and to examine all financial records related to the sponsorship.
The scandal has shaken the faith of millions of devotees who consider Sabarimala one of India’s most sacred pilgrimage sites, where devotees arrive after 41 days of rigorous penance.
