Mumbai: Devotees of Lord Ayyappa expressed anguish following reports of gold pilferage from the sanctum of the revered Sabarimala hill shrine in Kerala.
Gold Plates Missing from Sanctum
Investigations by the Travancore Devaswom Board, the government authority managing major Hindu temples in south and central Kerala, revealed that gold plates covering the copper dwarapalakas (guardian statues) at the sanctum entrance were removed for polishing in 2019. They were replaced with plates containing approximately four kg less gold, now valued at around ₹4.5 crore.
A set of gold pedestals allegedly removed from the temple’s strong room was reportedly found with a relative of a temple sponsor. Questions have arisen over how private individuals were able to remove valuables without the authorities’ knowledge.
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Devotees Demand Accountability
Despite the incident, devotees say their faith remains unbroken. Chandrahas Shetty, a Marol resident who has completed 40 pilgrimages, including seven trips walking the 1,800 km from Mumbai to Sabarimala, said: “We go there because of our faith, but devotees have no idea what the temple managers are doing. God is watching them.”
V Gopalakrishnan Nair, president of the 75-year-old Ayyappa Bhakta Samithi, Dadar, stressed that the state government and Devaswom Board should be held responsible. “A few temple employees could not have committed this crime alone. More people must be involved. The temple is public, and it would have taken a large group to conceal the theft,” he said.
Devotees Question Temple Management
Shaji Kumar, a resident of Kharghar, said: “Every Ayyappa devotee is asking how the government manages a Hindu temple. It is disturbing that a temple central to millions’ beliefs is managed like this.”
Temple’s Significance and Wealth
The shrine, open only for a short annual pilgrimage season and special occasions, attracts millions of devotees from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and worldwide. In 2023, the temple’s annual income was ₹320 crore, with a net worth of ₹240 crore, nearly double that of Mumbai’s Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple.
Like the Ganpati temple, Sabarimala is managed by the state government. The gold covering the sanctum was donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1999.
