4 months ago
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Even arsenic the golden theft lawsuit successful the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple grabbed nationalist headlines and necessitated the constitution of a High Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT), an bid issued by the Kerala High Court successful 1998, granting support for works connected covering the extortion of the temple’s Sreekovil with golden sheets by Vijay Mallya, past president of the UB Group of Industries, Bengaluru, has shed airy connected definite absorbing aspects that unfolded astatine that time.
While disposing of a petition filed by a radical of devotees against the work, the bid issued by judges A.R. Lakshmanan and D. Sreedevi had made it wide that erstwhile the golden covering works are completed, it is the work of the authorities to supply and money capable information arrangements. However, this directive has not been wholly carried retired by governments and boards till date.
The devotees argued that the determination to screen the copper extortion of the Sreekovil with golden sheets cannot beryllium allowed due to the fact that the deity of Sabarimala is that of Yogeeswara. Decorating the deity and the temple with costly ornaments and golden goes against the conception of Yogeeswara. In addition, if the extortion is covered with gold, equipped information unit volition person to beryllium deployed successful and astir the temple, for which the committee volition person to walk lakhs of rupees. They besides raised allegations against V.G.N. Namboothiri, the United Democratic Front (UDF) authorities nominee successful the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) then, saying the enactment was aimed astatine fattening the purse of Mr. Namboothiri.
TDB’s counter-argument
Instead of spending lakhs of rupees connected golden work, the institution whitethorn beryllium directed to walk that wealth connected different purposes specified arsenic h2o supply, Annadanam to pilgrims, and gathering impermanent sheds, the devotees said successful the petition. In a counter-affidavit, the TDB refuted the arguments, terming them ‘absolutely untrue and unjustifiable.’ It argued that the flagstaff (Kodimaram) of the temple is gold-plated and the idol is made of Panchaloha. Lord Ayyappa has respective invaluable jewels specified arsenic Thanka Anki, the golden ornaments offered by the ruler of the erstwhile authorities of Travancore. Jewels and lamps made of golden are received arsenic offerings too. The conception of Yogeeswara had not travel successful the mode of specified show of wealth, oregon the behaviour of 5 regular pujas, the 10-day festival etc., the TDB said.
In different temples
The judges were of the presumption that the usage of golden vessels astatine the temple and the golden covering of the Sreekovil extortion bash not militate against the conception of Lord Ayyappa arsenic Yogeeswara. The bid besides noted that galore celebrated temples successful Tamil Nadu specified arsenic the Sree Meenakshiamman temple successful Madurai; Sree Ranganatha temple astatine Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli; and Sri Venkateswara Temple astatine Tirupati successful Andhra Pradesh, not lone person gold-covered roofs but besides replicas of horse, bull, Garuda etc. successful gold, isolated from aureate chariots for carrying the main deity. Nearer home, the temple astatine Guruvayur has a extortion adorned with aureate plates, the tribunal observed.
Later, disposing of the petition and granting support for undertaking the enactment offered by Mr. Mallya, the tribunal observed that the ailment was made with immoderate ulterior motives. In the counter-affidavit, the committee besides stated that Sree Sankaracharaya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peedom H.H. Jayendra Saraswathi, who visited the temple on with inferior Swami H.H. Vijayendra Saraswati, had suggested golden covering of the extortion of the Sreekovil.
