A 55.72 sovereign gold crown has been reported to be missing from the renowned Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple. The development came to light following an inventory of the sacred ornaments (Thiruvabharanams) carried out in accordance with the Kerala High Court’s directives. The crown was contributed by Tamil Nadu devotees in 2012.
A duplicate crown of the same size and style, which is currently kept in the strong room, has replaced it. This replica is also decorated with white stones that resemble diamonds. Meanwhile, the original crown weighed a total of 445.78 grams when it was donated, while its imitation weighs just 240 grams.
A group of chartered accountants from Tamil Nadu offered the crown to the temple on 17th August 2012, the day it was opened for the Chingam pilgrimage month. At the time, the donors received a legal receipt from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which is in charge of the temple.
The crown was brought to the sanctum sanctorum and set on Lord Ayyappa’s idol. Afterwards, it was transferred to the Sannidhanam’s (main temple complex) strong room, which does not have CCTV cameras. Valuable objects received in Sabarimala are expected to be temporarily stored in the strong room at the Sannidhanam before being transferred to the Devaswom Board’s strong room in Aranmula, which never received the gold crown. The lapse is also being looked into.
It is difficult to determine precisely when and under whose supervision the original crown was changed because Sabarimala’s executive officers and administrators usually serve brief, one-year rotational periods. Hence, a multi-year and comprehensive trail is being figured out.
According to TDB President K Jayakumar, he learned about the news through the media. He claimed that it is alarming if the reports are true. He added that these assets should be stored in the Aranmula strong room and expressed concern about the structural shortcomings in the management of the shrine.
Additionally, a four-sovereign gold chain that belonged to the Travancore Devaswom Board in Aranmula has vanished from a strong room. In another instance, the OTC Hanuman Temple near the Legislative Assembly building in Thiruvananthapuram is believed to have lost silver horns adorned with costly stones. An investigation into the incidents has been ordered by K Jayakumar, president of the Devaswom Board.
Amicus curiae, led by Justice K. T. Sankaran, ordered the audit of the Sannidhanam strong room following a previous Sabarimala gold theft case. The inventory is nearing completion, and the report will be presented to the High Court with further information.
