Scandal Unveiled: Gold-Plating Irregularities at Sabarimala Temple

In a significant development, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has suspended a senior official following alleged irregularities in the gold plating of Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple's 'Dwarapalaka' idols.

B Murari Babu, holding the position of Deputy Devaswom Commissioner (Haripad), will face an inquiry after being accused of incorrectly reporting the material used for the idols as copper instead of gold-plated copper. Babu refuted the charges, asserting that he adhered to procedures and based his report on temple tantri's guidance.

In a related move, the Kerala High Court mandated the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to delve into discrepancies surrounding the decreasing weight of the gold-plated copper claddings. This investigation comes amid revelations of a 4.5 kg weight reduction in these claddings during their last removal in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies.)