THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A week has passed since some valuables possessed by the top priest of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple were reported missing. While the police are yet to trace them, the temple management has remained silent on the issue.
Pooja materials, including a salagramam, went missing from the place where pushpanjali swamiyar of the temple, Swami Parameswara Brahmananda Theertha, had staged a protest that lasted more than a week. He was protesting to get possession of an old building originally belonging to his monastery, the Munchira Madom.
The building is now held by the RSS-affiliated Seva Bharati which runs an orphanage there. “The Munchira Madom had filed a complaint with the Fort Police immediately after the incident. Police recorded Swami’s statement the next day. We are unaware of the follow-up action taken,” said Madom’s administration secretary Rajesh R Nair.
“The pooja utensils, including the salagramam are of high religious significance. Their antique value makes the case more serious,” he added.
Fort circle inspector Sherry said they had registered a case based on the swamiyar’s complaint. "Swamiyar said the incident occurred immediately after the marquee erected at the protest venue was destroyed by a mob on September 14. A probe is on to book the accused and retrieve the valuables," he said.
Meanwhile, the Seva Bharati and RSS have denied any role in the incident. Welcoming a fair probe into the case, a senior leader said the complaint was fake. "The case was fabricated to mislead the public. Why is the police idle if the complaint is genuine?" he asked.
The temple management was unavailable for comments. The District Collector will convene a second round of meeting of stakeholders on September 30. Both parties have been asked to submit documents in support of their claim on the day.
Myth and facts
Salagramam is a fossilised shell collected from the Gandaki river in Nepal. Hindus consider it as a symbol of Lord Maha Vishnu. “Salagramam has great significance for the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple. The main idol itself is made of 12,008 salagramams,” said MG Sasibhooshan, noted historian and an authority on the Sree Padmanabhaswami temple. He said the current controversy was unfortunate. “As a resident of Thiruvananthapuram and ardent devotee of Lord Sree Padmanabhaswami, this unwanted tussle has saddened me. Both sides should introspect. The controversy and the street fight have brought disrepute to an age-old institution,” he said.