‘Repair of Sabarimala plates in keeping with rules’
KOTTAYAM: Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prasanth on Sunday said the gold-clad copper plates of the dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols at Sabarimala temple were sent to Chennai for repair strictly in accordance with rules.
Speaking at a Nair Service Society (NSS) event in Pala, Prasanth said that he “had not indulged in malpractice or corruption worth even a single penny”, emphasising that this integrity had earned him the support of community leaders.
Referring to the recent controversy over the shifting of the plates for repair, he clarified that all procedures were followed, and the only lapse was a delay in informing the special commissioner. The issue became contentious after the Kerala High Court took notice of it and sought an explanation from TDB. Prasanth said that, following the court’s directive, the superintendent of police submitted a report confirming that all procedures had been followed and mahazars were prepared every hour.
The plates were transported in a secure vehicle with cameras. ‘Now, following the High Court direction, they have been brought back. They will now be reinstalled with the HC’s permission and rituals performed by the tanthri,’ he said.
On the allegation of weight reduction, Prasanth explained that a total of 364 grams (about 38 sovereigns) of gold was plated on the dwarapalaka idols and the structure. “The total gold plating is less than half a kilogram. The reported reduction of 4kg is the weight of copper,” he clarified.
A bench of justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar had noted that the plates weighed 42.8 kg when removed in 2019 for fresh plating. However, when they were produced before the company entrusted to carry out the gold-plating, their weight was 38.258 kg. The court has ordered a vigilance probe. Looking ahead, Prasanth said the upcoming pilgrimage season is expected to draw around 60 lakh devotees to Sabarimala. ‘In 2023-24, 48 lakh devotees visited the shrine, while in 2024-25 the number rose to 54 lakh. We must expand facilities for pilgrims, and a master plan is being prepared,’ he said. He said that the recently held Global Ayyappa Sangamam was aimed at promoting the development of Sabarimala.
According to him, the annual revenue of the TDB is Rs 844 crore, of which Rs 600 crore comes from Sabarimala alone. ‘Around 1,200 temples depend on this revenue. We have 6,200 employees, 5,200 pensioners, and nearly 40,000 families directly and indirectly depending on Sabarimala,’ he said.