KOCHI: Thantri Kandararu Rajeevaru on Wednesday refuted the statement of former Sabarimala executive officer Murari Babu that the proposal to carry out gold-plating of the temple’s dwarapalaka idols in 2019 was made on his recommendation. He said he granted permission for the work after the officer came to him. Rajeevaru also said he granted the nod expecting that the work will be done at Sannidhanam itself.
“The officer came to me and said the gold covering of the dwarapalakas had faded due the rush of devotees. He said some parts of the cladding were damaged by the coins thrown by devotees. I granted permission as there is no need to check the deity’s will for repair works. But I was of the belief that the work will be conducted at Sannidhanam. I didn’t know of the plan to take it to Chennai,” Rajeevaru said.
He also denied Murari Babu’s claim that the dwarapalaka idols were not gold-plated in 1999. The idols, he said, were indeed covered in 1999 using the gold donated by industrialist Vijay Mallya. “The use of the term “copper panels” is wrong as no temple uses copper panels to cover the dwarapalakas and doors,” he said, alluding to the entry by Murari in the mahazar in 2019 when the gold-plated panels were handed over to priest-turned-businessman Unnikrishnan Potti. The TDB suspended him for the lapse on Tuesday.
Rajeevaru said he knew Potti as the latter served as the helper of a keezhsanthi (assistant priest) at Sabarimala for eight years. “He visited me at the time of my son’s marriage; that was why I invited him. I never knew about his other activities and have no knowledge of his sponsorship of the works at the temple,” he said.
Thantri: Let the truth come out
“The high court is considering the case. Let the truth come out,” the thantri said.
On the Vaji Vahanam (horse sculpture) that was atop the old flagmast and was reportedly missing after the flagmast was replaced in 2017, Rajeevaru said it was with him.
“There is a practice of handing over the vahanam to the tantri as it should not be reused. Former TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan had handed it over to me,” he said, ending speculation that it was gifted to one of the sponsors by the authorities.
