Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 – Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan, a former governor of Mizoram, has called for a full investigation into the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) handling of precious gold at Sabarimala, the popular hill‑shrine for Lord Ayyappa. He says the board is hiding the fate of gold sheets that vanished after a renovation in 2019.
Kummanam says industrialist Vijay Mallya, who led UB Group, donated 30.3 kg of gold in 1998 to plate the temple’s sanctum and the idol‑door frame (Dwarapalaka). According to him, the gold was removed for a renovation, but only copper was taken out. A Chennai‑based firm that carried out the work confirmed that no gold was removed.
“The gold that was in the shrine in 1998 simply disappeared,” he said. He pointed out that even the current TDB president admitted only copper was taken in 2019. “Where did the gold go?” he asked. “The government must answer.”
The BJP leader says the TDB went against temple traditions and a 2023 court order. That ruling forbade any removal of valuable ornaments from the premises, and the TDB Manual says all renovation of gold items must happen inside the temple. The board carried out the work without court approval and didn’t inform devotees, Kummanam said. That is a serious breach, he added.
Kummanam also raised concerns that the board re‑appointed a craftsman named Unnikrishnan Potti after the 2019 removal, even though earlier work had breached contract terms. “The same person was trusted again, but no penalties or safeguards were applied,” he claimed, suggesting a possible conspiracy.
Calling the missing gold a “serious offense”, he demands a comprehensive probe into the TDB’s conduct. “Those responsible must be held accountable,” Kummanam warned. “Devotees deserve to know the truth about the temple’s wealth and sanctity.”
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