Kerala minister flags conspiracy in Sabarimala's missing gold artefacts

The row over the missing gold artefacts at Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has intensified, with Kerala’s Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan alleging a “larger conspiracy” behind the six-year disappearance of a gold-plated Dwarapalaka idol pedestal.

The development comes on the day the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is scheduled to submit a detailed report to the Kerala High Court on the recovery of the artefact.

The TDB Vigilance wing traced the missing pedestal on Saturday to the residence of Mini Devi, sister of Unnikrishnan Potti — the sponsor who first reported it missing in 2019.

The pedestal has since been returned to the shrine.

Minister Vasavan dismissed the explanations offered by the family, stating that the pedestal had been hidden for over four years and was only later declared missing. He argued that such a move deceived the public and raised suspicion of a conspiracy.

He further argued that the timeline was unreliable and hinted at a possible political motive to damage the temple’s reputation.

Mini Devi claimed the pedestal had been given to a craftsman named Vasudevan for repairs, but was never sent back to the temple. This was contradicted by statements from Potti’s worker, who admitted keeping it before it was shifted to her house.

TDB President PS Prasanth launched a sharp attack on Potti, accusing him of attempting to malign the administration. He said that by alleging the pedestal was missing, Potti had painted the board as thieves. He questioned why such a false claim was made just before the Ayyappa Sangamam and suggested it was an attempt to tarnish the event.

Former TDB President A Padmakumar supported the demand for a deeper probe. “Neither Potti nor Vasudevan stood to gain from hiding the pedestal. The motive behind this act must be uncovered,” he said.

The issue dates back to 2019, when Potti, who had sponsored the gold-plating of the Dwarapalaka idols and pedestals, reported the pedestal missing. His claim led the Kerala High Court to order a vigilance probe into the case, along with another controversy involving the unexplained reduction in the weight of the main gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka idols.

The TDB Vigilance report will be presented before the High Court’s Devaswom Bench later today. Minister Vasavan said that all further action on the matter would depend on the court’s directions. The court is currently focused on ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of temple assets.