In a significant development, the Kerala High Court has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the mysterious reduction in the weight of the gold-clad Dwarapalaka idols at the iconic Sabarimala temple. It has been revealed that the idols have lost four kilograms of gold since 2019, prompting serious concerns.
The court has instructed the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report within three weeks. A key question raised by the court is why a new layer of gold was applied to the idols in 2019, especially if they had already been gold-plated back in 1999.
Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, the court stated that an explanation is crucial for the 4 kg decrease in the idols’ weight from their original 42 kg. The TDB has been directed to fully cooperate with the ongoing probe. Furthermore, the court questioned the board’s failure to check the idols’ weight in 2019 before their reinstallation at the temple. The TDB is also mandated to confirm that the pedestals of these sacred idols are securely stored in the strong room.
Unraveling the ‘Missing Details’
The court’s directive follows its previous concern, expressed on Monday, regarding alleged discrepancies in official records from 2009 and 2019. These records reportedly contained ‘missing details’ concerning the gold used for cladding the Dwarapalaka idols. To shed light on this issue, a Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar had earlier sought all relevant records pertaining to the gold.
This includes documentation detailing the quantity of gold used in 1999 for the initial cladding of the Dwarapalakas, the identities of the sponsor and the artisan involved, the amount of gold utilized for the 2019 plating, the gold required for the current restoration efforts, and the method of recovering and reusing the gold.
The court’s action stems from a suo motu case initiated based on a report from the Sabarimala Special Commissioner. The report highlighted the unauthorized dispatch of the gold plates to Chennai for re-plating without obtaining prior permission from the court.
