Gold-plated plates at Sabarimala sent to Chennai for repair in line with rules: TDB President

Kottayam (Kerala), Sep 28 (PTI) Travancore Devaswom Board President P S Prasanth here on Sunday said the gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at the Sabarimala temple were sent to Chennai for repair strictly in accordance with the rules.

Speaking at a Nair Service Society (NSS) event, Prasanth said that he "had not indulged in malpractice or corruption worth even a single penny." He said it was this integrity that had earned him the support of community leaders.

Referring to the recent controversy over the shifting of the plates for repairs, he clarified that all procedures were followed, and the only lapse was a delay in informing the special commissioner.

The issue became contentious after the Kerala High Court took notice of it and sought an explanation from the TDB.

Prasanth said that, following the court’s direction, the Superintendent of Police submitted a report confirming that all procedures had been followed.

He said that Mahazars were prepared every hour.

The plates were transported in a secure vehicle with video recording. “Now, after the High Court direction, they have been brought back. They will now be reinstalled with High Court permission and rituals performed by the Tantri,” he said.

On the allegation of weight reduction, Prasanth explained that a total of 364 grams (about 38 sovereigns) of gold was plated on the Dwarapalaka idols and the structure. “The total gold plating is less than half a kilogram. The reported reduction of four kilos is the weight of copper,” he clarified.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar had noted that the plates weighed 42.8 kg when removed in 2019 for fresh gold-plating.

However, when they were produced before the company entrusted to carry out the gold-plating, their weight was 38.258 kg.

The court has ordered a Vigilance probe into the incident.

Looking ahead, Prasanth said the upcoming pilgrimage season is expected to draw around 60 lakh devotees to Sabarimala. “In 2023-24, 48 lakh devotees visited the shrine, while in 2024-25 the number rose to 54 lakh. We must expand facilities for pilgrims, and a master plan is being prepared,” he said.

He said that the recently held Global Ayyappa Sangamam was aimed at promoting the development of Sabarimala.

According to him, the annual revenue of the TDB is Rs 844 crore, of which Rs 600 crore comes from Sabarimala alone.

“Around 1,200 temples depend on this revenue. We have 6,200 employees, 5,200 pensioners, and nearly 40,000 families directly and indirectly depending on Sabarimala,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of state government support during the Sabarimala season.

Prasanth further said that organisations such as NSS, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) were backing the Board not due to affection towards TDB or the state government.

“They have recognised that our objective was the overall development of Sabarimala,” he added. PTI TBA SSK