Sabarimala idols sent for gold plating in line with rules, says TDB president

Reiterating that the gold-clad copper plates of the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols astatine the Sabarimala temple were sent to Chennai for repair strictly successful accordance with the rules, Travancore Devaswom Board president P.S. Prasanth said present connected Sunday said it was this integrity that had earned him the enactment of assemblage leaders.

Addressing an lawsuit organised by the Meenachil taluk national of the NSS, Mr. Prasanth said pursuing the court’s directive, the Superintendent of Police submitted a study confirming that each procedures had been followed. The lone lapse, however, was a hold successful informing the Special Commissioner. The plates were transported successful a unafraid conveyance with video recording. “Now, aft the High Court directive, they person been brought back. They volition present beryllium reinstalled with High Court’s support and rituals performed by the Tantri,” helium said.

Regarding the allegation of the idols’ reduced weight, Mr. Prasanth explained that a full of 364 grams (about 38 sovereigns) of golden was plated connected the Dwarapalaka idols and the structure. “The full golden plating is little than fractional a kilogramme. The reported simplification of 4 kilos is the value of copper,” helium said. The High Court had earlier ordered a Vigilance probe aft noting that the plates had weighed 42.8 kg erstwhile removed successful 2019 for caller gold-plating. But erstwhile they were produced earlier the institution entrusted to transportation retired the gold-plating successful 2025, their value was 38.258 kg.

60 lakh devotees

According o Mr. Prasanth, the upcoming pilgrimage play is expected to gully astir 60 lakh devotees to Sabarimala. “In 2023-24, 48 lakh devotees visited the shrine, portion successful 2024-25 the fig roseate to 54 lakh. The yearly gross of the TDB is ₹844 crore, of which ₹600 crore comes from Sabarimala alone. “Around 1,200 temples beryllium connected this revenue. We person 6,200 employees, 5,200 pensioners, and astir 40,000 families straight and indirectly depending connected Sabarimala,” helium added.

He further said that organisations specified arsenic NSS, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam, and Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) were backing the committee upon recognising that the committee stood for the wide improvement of Sabarimala.