MADURAI: A petition alleging missing of jewellery belonging to Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rames- waram has been filed in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
Petitioner S Pakshi Sivarajan of Rameswaram claimed that 12 different ornaments including thali, nose-stud, necklace and armour, all studded with diamonds, used to be adorned on the idol of Goddess Paravathavarthini, one of the presiding deities of the Rameswaram temple.
The Rameswaram temple is one among the 12 Jyothir Linga temples present in the country.
He alleged that while these ornaments had been listed in the temple’s property register (ledger) in 1972, there is no mention of it in 1995.
“They would have either been stolen or gone missing,” the petitioner said, while claiming that a gold hand bell is also not be found at the Moolasthanam.
“All these valuables were donated by philanthropic devotees and kings to the temple,” he said suspecting the role of the custodians of the property and the home department staff behind the alleged missing of ornaments.
With the consecration ceremony slated for January 20, a court order on inquiry into the issue would help trace the missing jewels, the petitioner said.
Hearing the plea of the petitioner, a division bench of Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice K Ravichandra Babu ordered the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) to file a counter returnable within two weeks.