Kerala High Court Slams Sabarimala Temple Board Over Secret Gold Idol Repairs
The Kerala High Court has pulled up the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for quietly removing gold-plated copper sheets from the iconic Dwarapalaka guardian idols at Sabarimala temple. The board sent these sacred items for repairs to a Chennai company without telling the court-appointed Special Commissioner, sparking major concerns about temple procedures.
In a hearing on Friday, a division bench led by Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K.V. Jayakumar reviewed the Special Commissioner’s report. They slammed the TDB for skipping court approval and sending the ornaments to Smart Creations in Chennai for electroplating fixes. These gold-plated coverings, installed back in 2019 with a 40-year guarantee, started showing defects just six years later.
Devotee Unnikrishnan Potty sponsored the repairs, but the court found the whole process shady. The bench pointed out that the TDB ignored its own rules, like the TDB Sub Group Manual, which says such work must happen right at the temple’s Sannidhanam site. Earlier, the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner had suggested traditional gold cladding using 303 grams of gold—worth around Rs 31 lakh—but flipped the plan after chats with the sponsor, going for electroplating instead.
The TDB rushed the items to Chennai on September 9, where workers began stripping off the lacquer coating and polishing some of the 12 pieces. Officials admitted that bringing back the gold, now in a risky liquid form mixed with cyanide solution, could cause technical issues. The court wasn’t having any of it—they ordered an immediate stop to the repairs and demanded the items return to Sabarimala right away. The board quickly issued an unconditional apology.
Drawing from a 2007 Supreme Court ruling in A.A. Gopalakrishnan vs. Cochin Devaswom Board, the judges reminded everyone that temple trustees and staff have a strict duty to protect sacred assets. They directed officials to seize all records on the gold-plating, including files on an older set of Dwarapalaka idols stored in the strong room.
In a bold move, the court added Potty and Smart Creations as parties to the case on its own. Both must now hand over all financial details and communication records tied to the Sabarimala repairs. Urgent notices went out, and the TDB’s Chief Vigilance Officer got the job of grabbing and submitting every relevant file without delay.
This drama highlights ongoing scrutiny over Sabarimala temple management, especially after years of legal battles and devotee protests. Devotees hope it leads to stricter oversight for the hill shrine’s priceless treasures.
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