Thiruvananthapuram: The serenity of Sabarimala, one of India’s most revered pilgrimage sites, has been shaken by allegations surrounding the temple’s gold-plating works, top Congress leaders said on Friday.
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan and his predecessor Ramesh Chennithala on Friday have expressed dismay over the row and the latter demanded a full, High Court-supervised investigation, calling the events a blatant violation of temple rules and devotees’ trust. Satheesan raised several questions about the missing gold.
“The company responsible claimed only copper sheets were transported to Chennai, suggesting the gold was removed locally. The High Court observed a 40-day delay before the sheets reached Chennai - where was the gold all this while?” he asked.
He also questioned the role of sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti and those who authorised the move, stressing that valuables should never leave Sabarimala without official sanction.
Chennithala described the incident as a naked breach of the Devaswom manual, which strictly forbids removing gold or other valuable items from the temple.
“All repairs should happen inside the temple, with approval from the Tantri and the Devaswom Commissioner. None of these steps was followed. 42 kg of gold sheets were sent to Chennai, but only 38 kg returned,” he claimed, highlighting the gravity of the oversight. (IANS)
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