Thiruvananthapuram, 27 May (H.S.): Fresh concerns have emerged over the management and security of the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram after a confidential report submitted by State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar to the Kerala Home Department reportedly pointed to missing gold offerings, serious procedural lapses and violations of security protocols within the temple premises.
The findings come in the backdrop of the recent Sabarimala gold theft controversy, which had already triggered allegations of large-scale administrative lapses in temple management under the Travancore Devaswom Board.
According to the report, around 78 grams of gold bars and gold coins offered by devotees to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple were found missing over the past few months. The report is also said to have identified irregularities in the handling of valuable temple assets and ceremonial ornaments.
One of the major observations in the report concerns a multi-tiered gold lamp that had reportedly been removed for maintenance work. Investigators found that the original gold lamp was allegedly replaced with a silver substitute without maintaining any official records or documentation regarding the change.
The report further noted that the temple’s “Vaira Nama” — a valuable ornamental installation placed inside the sanctum sanctorum — had been removed for repair work and has remained absent from its designated place for nearly six months.
Apart from the missing valuables, the report raised serious concerns about security arrangements at the temple. It alleged that certain temple staff, security personnel and individuals linked to the erstwhile royal family were routinely entering the temple without undergoing mandatory security screening procedures.
The report specifically referred to a group of individuals said to be close to Sri Aditya Varma and allegedly frequent visitors to Kowdiar Palace, stating that they were regularly allowed access without proper checks.
In view of the alleged lapses, the DGP recommended that all gold and silver valuables currently stored outside secure vaults be shifted immediately to a centralised strong room under strict monitoring. The report also called for proper documentation of all offerings made by devotees and suggested that valuables be stored in designated lockers under direct police surveillance.
It further stressed that security norms must be enforced uniformly and that no individual, irrespective of status, influence or affiliation, should be exempted from mandatory screening procedures inside the temple complex.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
