Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 16 – A special investigation team (SIT) is on the hill shrine to run a full‑scale forensic test into the alleged loss of gold from the Sabarimala temple. The team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Sasidharan, began its work after 1 p.m. Sunday, following the temple’s Deva Anujna rituals that are required before any outside work can start.
The SIT set up shop in Pampa in the morning and will stay in the temple enclosure (Sannidhanam) until the tests finish. Forensic experts – including chemical analysts and technical specialists – will carry out the examination under the directions of the Kerala High Court.
The move comes after worries arose in 2019 that gold had disappeared from the Dwarapalaka, the guardian deity’s idols. To see how much gold might be missing, the SIT asked the High Court for permission to do a detailed forensic assessment. The court approved, giving clear instructions. Investigators must weigh the gold plates on the Dwarapalaka idols and the side pillars, measure each plate’s surface area, and take small samples of the gold coating. They will also collect copper samples from the same plates and door frames so scientists can compare the metals.
Scientists will use modern techniques—spectroscopy, electrical conductivity tests, and micro‑structural analysis—to check the gold’s purity, thickness, and overall quality. The goal: determine whether the gold layers were stripped, removed, or replaced.
The SIT had planned to finish the tests on November 15, before the start of the annual Mandala‑Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. But the chief priest (Thanthri) said that no examination of the temple’s structures or deities is allowed until the final Deva Anujna rituals are complete. After this, the High Court changed the rule again: the scientific work must wait until Ucha Pooja, the temple’s closing at 1 p.m. on Monday.
Now the expert team will carry out the whole examination in one session on Monday. This is a key step in figuring out what happened to the missing gold at Sabarimala. It will also help the authorities decide whether any action is needed to protect the temple’s treasures.
The investigation continues to raise questions – but for now, the focus is on the forensic science that will finally give a clear picture of whether the gold’s disappearance is a theft, damage, or something else entirely.
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