Scientific analysis report of Sabarimala temple gold cladding submitted to court; SIT to examine findings

The report of crucial scientific analysis of the gold on the copper claddings covering various artefacts, including Dwarapalaka sculptures and door frames of the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, conducted at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) was submitted to the Vigilance court in Kollam in a sealed cover on Friday.

The results of the examination of 15 samples, including the Dwarapalaka sculptures and the door frames, were handed over to the court.

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The report will reveal whether the old gold-plated layers of Dwarapalaka sculptures and door frames and other artefacts in Sabarimala were looted or the gold was plated on the new layers. This test result is crucial to know how much gold has been lost from Sabarimala. Also, it will answer whether the layers have been changed. Has the gold been plated on new layers?

The report will be handed over to the High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further investigation. The Kerala High Court had in November permitted the SIT to carry out a scientific analysis of the gold on the copper cladding of the sacred artefacts, which include the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols, peedhom (pedestals) and doors of the temple to compare the nature of the gold on the plates before and after they were taken for restoration by the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potty, in 2019.

Meanwhile, the UDF-appointed Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) that handed over the ‘vaji vahanam’ (effigy of a horse) to thantri Rajeevaru is also in trouble, as an order issued by the TDB in 2012 states that replaced objects should be preserved as public property while installing new ones. The Travancore Devaswom Board led by Prayar Gopalakrishnan had handed over the Vaji vahanam to the Thantri while this order was still in effect.

A footage showing then TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan and member Ajay Tharayil handing over the horse effigy that was part of the flagpole to Thantri Kantararu Rajeevaru, has recently come out. The SIT recovered the ‘vaji vahanam’, at the raid conducted at the residence of thantri Rajeevaru in Chengan­nur the other day. The SIT, subsequently sub­mit­ted the seized art­icle at the Kollam Vigilance Court. The Vajivahanam is a sculpture that is many years old. It is made of 11 kg of Panchaloham and covered in gold.