Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple Faces Missing Gold And Ivory Allegations Amid Sabarimala Theft Row

After the gold theft at Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, similar issues have now come to light at the equally famous Guruvayur temple. A 2019 audit only recently made public revealed that various valuable items, including gold and ivory, were missing. The report highlighted that these assets were managed without following proper procedures. It also uncovered a loss of Rs 79 lakh linked to deposits in a gold scheme run by the State Bank of India.

According to NDTV report, the audit also found that seeds from the manchadi, or coral wood tree, given by devotees for counting were missing, and saffron flowers were not recorded. Additionally, 2,000 kg of traditional cookware called Uruli, worth Rs 15 lakh and donated by a resident of Palakkad, were not included in the inventory.

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Furthermore, over 530 kg of ivory from the Punnathur elephant fort was reported missing.

The Guruvayur Devaswom, the independent board responsible for managing 12 temples in Kerala, has stated that these issues have been addressed and that a detailed affidavit has been submitted to the Kerala High Court.

SIT seizes Devasom minutes book as probe widens

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has seized the Travancore Devasom Board's minutes book from 2019, which contained the decision to hand over the gold sheets and plating materials to now-arrested Unnikrishnan Potti.

The seizure has become a key turning point in the ongoing probe into the alleged misappropriation of gold used for plating the Sabarimala temple's sacred structures.

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In a report submitted to the Kerala High Court, the SIT said that members and employees of the Devasom Board had acted on behalf of certain individuals, and that manipulation was evident from the official records themselves.

Crucial documents recovered during the verification process have shed light on the irregularities. The SIT also pointed out that the Board had been reluctant to hand over records, producing them only after repeated requests.

 ( With IANS Inputs )