Sabarimala Ayyappan temple’s sponsor wanted to use the remaining gold after plating – for which he had sought permission, court findings revealed amid the alleged disappearance of gold plates used in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. According to the details accessed by NDTV, the sponsor, Unnikrishnan Potty, requested the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to give their “opinion” on the issue.
“I would like to inform you that I have some gold balance in my hand after finishing the gold work of the Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum main door and the dwarapalakar’s. I would like to use it for a girl’s marriage who needs support and genuine, in coordination with TBD. Please give your valuable opinion in this regard,” the letter, dated December 9, 2019, dated.
The Devaswom Secretary, on December 17, 2019, based on the letter, had sought clarity on what could be done with the excess gold – which the Court had found “disturbing”.
According to the court, it demonstrated the “alarming manner” in which the Devaswom officials had acted jointly with Unnikrishnan Potty, betraying both the sanctity of temple property and the trust reposed in them by the devotees.
The Congress-led Opposition had alleged that part of the gold used for the temple’s golden covering had gone missing. The Kerala High Court, last month, noted that when the copper plates, which are clad in gold and adorn the Dwarapalaka idols, were removed for fresh gold-plating in 2019, they weighed 42.8 kg. However, when they were produced before a Chennai-based firm for the work, their weight had inexplicably dropped to 38.258 kg. The court had ordered a vigilance probe into the alleged disappearance of gold.