THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pushed to a corner after its vigilance wing recovered documents revealing gross irregularities and mismanagement in the gold covering of the sanctum at Sabarimala temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to approach the High Court seeking a comprehensive investigation under its supervision into the entire episode since 1999.
As per uncovered documents, the dwarapalaka idols were among the properties that were layered with gold in 1999. However, when the plates covering the idols were sent for maintenance in 2019, the entries in the register did not mention any gold. They say 14 copper panels were sent for repair.
The records showed that 30.3 kg of gold were used for gold covering the sanctum, including the dwarapalaka idols, roof, steps and certain portions of the wall in 1999. The gold plating was sponsored by businessman Vijay Mallya. In 2019, the documents say, 14 panels which covered the dwarapalaka idols in front of the sanctum were sent for maintenance in Chennai.
The maintenance was sponsored by priest-turned-businessman Unnikrishnan Potti, the central figure in the current controversy. The Chennai-based company, which did the repair work, said recently that it received pure copper panels for gold plating. Moreover, the 14 panels weighed 42 kg at the time of handover. But at the time of return, the weight was 38 kg.
Another startling find by the vigilance was that the panels were in the possession of Potti for a considerable period — 30 days — after the formal handover by the TDB. He is also accused of illegally displaying and performing pooja on the panels in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He publicly conducted poojas at the Srirampura Temple in Bengaluru and the Chennai-based company where they were repaired.
Attended pooja on Potti’s invitation: Jayaram
Actor Jayaram on Friday told reporters that he had attended the pooja held at the company on Potti’s invitation. On his request, Potti had brought some panels to his residence for him to worship, the actor said.
While the TDB blames Potti for the fiasco, it has exposed serious failings on its part as well.
The records and revelations have shown that TDB officials involved in the 2019 maintenance entrusted valuable temple property with the new sponsor and did not monitor activities. The public display and poojas conducted by Potti at Bengaluru and Chennai are serious violations of temple rules and customs.
In 2025, too, TDB entrusted Potti with the maintenance of the gold plates of dwarapalaka idols. According to the present board, it had no other option as the 40-year-warranty for the 2019 gold plating was in the name of Potti. But this time, the TDB rejected Potti’s offer for transporting the panels on his own. Instead it was transported to Chennai under the direct supervision of board’s Thiruvabharanam commissioner, other officers and armed guards.
Though the TDB has not officially responded to the revelations on Potti’s misuse of temple property, its president P S Prasanth told reporters that it would seek an HC-monitored thorough probe into the events since the gold covering of the sanctum in 1999.
Gold work over years
1999: The sanctum, its roofing, steps and the two dwarapalaka idols were gold-covered under the sponsor-ship of businessman Vijay Mallya. A total of 30.3 kg gold was used.
2019: 14 panels covering the dwarapalaka idols were sent to a Chennai-based company for refurbishment. It was sponsored by Unnikrishnan Potty, who received 42 kg of material in total.
The panels he returned weighed only 38 kg. 397g of gold was used for the process
2025: 12 panels covering the dwarapalaka idols sent for maintenance to the same company where work was done in 2019. An additional 10g of gold was used for the process. The maintenance was done through
Potty under the supervision of board’s officers