Historic Presidential Visit to Sabarimala Amidst Gold Plating Controversy

The Travancore Devaswom Board President, PS Prashanth, expressed immense pride as President Droupadi Murmu gears up for a historic visit to Sabarimala temple. Scheduled activities include her arrival at Nilakkal via helicopter and a planned darshan at Sannidhanam, followed by a return trip to Thiruvananthapuram, Prashanth told ANI.

A review meeting led by the Chief Secretary is set to finalize arrangements, reflecting details confirmed by the President's protocol team. The visit aligns with the temple's opening for the Malayalam month of Thulam puja on October 17, with closure scheduled for October 22 before reopening in November.

Simultaneously, a gold plating controversy engulfs Sabarimala. Kerala Minister V Sivankutty affirmed the Devaswom Board's autonomy under High Court oversight. Following mandates by Kerala High Court, a Special Investigation Team led by former SP S Sasidharan, with ADGP H Venkatesh supervising, is probing alleged gold theft from the temple. Confidentiality remains paramount as investigations unfold.

(With inputs from agencies.)