Kerala High Court reprimands TDB for negligence in handling valuables at Sabarimala Temple

Desk: The Kerala High Court on Monday (September 29, 2025) recommended a comprehensive inspection of the strong room led by a retired district judge, terming the lapses in handling valuables at the Sabarimala Temple as serious.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and KV Jayakumar ordered an investigation into the matter after the Travancore Devaswom Board’s vigilance officer filed a report on Monday regarding the reduction in the weight of the gold-plated copper sheets covering the idols of the Dwarapalakas (guardian deities) in front of the sanctum sanctorum of the Sabarimala Temple.

In 2019, when the copper sheets covering the idols were removed for further gold plating, they weighed 42.8 kilograms. However, when these sheets were sent to the company that did the gold plating, their weight was recorded as 38.258 kilograms. The bench hearing Devaswom cases had previously ordered a vigilance inquiry into the matter.

The court found that temple records were not being maintained properly and directed that serious lapses on the part of officials be investigated. The High Court recommended a detailed audit and ordered that a comprehensive inspection of the strong room, led by a retired district judge, should be conducted to list all valuables in the temple, including the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments).

The court directed that the sanctum sanctorum doors be repaired under the supervision of the temple’s executive officer. The vigilance officer informed the court that the gold-plated Peetham (platform) for the gatekeepers, which had previously been reported missing, had been recovered from the home of a relative of the sponsor, Unnikrishnan Potti.

The court clarified that the investigation should not be limited to Potti alone, but should also cover broader lapses in management and accountability. The High Court also allowed the TDB to reinstall the gold-plated sheets, which were brought back to Sabarimala from Chennai after the repair work. The next hearing in the case will be held in late October.