Gold ornaments worth crores of rupees missing from Kerala's renowned Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple : Intel report

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) – An intelligence report has come to light regarding Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. It has mentioned the disappearance of valuables from the temple, disappearance of gold ornaments, lapses in security and misuse of donations offered by devotees. The Director General of Police has sent a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of Kerala based on the information received from the Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence). The report has expressed serious concerns about the management and security of valuables in the temple.

Key points presented in the report !

Donated gold missing ?

In the last few months, about 78 grams of gold biscuits and coins donated by devotees for the maintenance of the temple have gone missing. A golden multilayered lamp, which was taken out for maintenance, is no longer in the temple premises.

Deity’s golden ornaments also have disappeared

The original golden lamp has been replaced with a silver lamp. There is no official record of this replacement. The ‘Vaira Nama’ is a traditional ornament and is usually kept inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. It has not been kept back in its original place for the last 6 months, after it was taken out for repair and maintenance work.

Security checks ignored ?

Some temple staff, security guards and some people associated with the Travancore royal family were ignoring the mandatory security checks at the Chembakathumudu entrance. The report names several people who were repeatedly entering and leaving the temple without any security checks.

Recommendation to keep gold and silver in the ‘strong room’

Following the findings of the investigation, the authorities have suggested several measures to strengthen the security of the temple and ensure the safety of the valuables. These include moving the gold, silver and other valuables currently outside the vault to a “strong room” (a strong room designed to store valuables or important documents securely). It has also been recommended that all donations received from devotees be properly documented and kept in a safe place.

Strict Police supervision recommended

All lockers and storage areas should be strictly monitored by the Police. A zero-tolerance policy should be adopted for any breach of security rules. Every person, irrespective of their rank or identity, will have to undergo a specific security check before entering the temple premises.

A Supreme Court committee oversees the temple

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple does not come under any ‘Devaswom Board’ controlled by the Kerala government. The temple is managed by an Executive Committee appointed by the Supreme Court which is responsible for the day-to-day administration. The District Judge heads the Executive Committee. The Committee also includes representatives from the Union Government, as well as BJP leader Karamana Jayan. The Kerala government’s representative in the Committee is Advocate Velayudham. Another member is Shri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, who is the head of the Travancore royal family. Aditya Varma is also part of the Committee as a nominee of the head of the royal family. The Executive Committee also includes the chief priest of the temple.