
After the theft of gold from Kerala's Sabarimala temple, similar allegations have surfaced at the equally famous Guruvayur after a 2019 audit - released only now - recorded various assets, including gold and ivory, as 'missing'. The report indicated these had been handled without due protocol. It also indicated a loss of Rs 79 lakh related to deposits in a gold scheme run by the State Bank of India.
The report also found the manchadi, or coral wood tree, seeds for the sack count given by the devotees were missing and saffron flowers were not included in the records. In addition, 2,000 kg of traditional cookware, or Uruli, worth Rs 15 lakh had not been included in calculations.
The cookware had been donated a resident of Kerala's Palakkad.
Additionally, over 530 kg of ivory from the Punnathur elephant fort is missing.
The Guruvayur Devaswom, a statutory and independent board that manages and governs 12 temples in the southern state, has said the shortcomings had been resolved and these matters had been submitted to the Kerala High Court in a detailed affidavit.
NDTV contacted the Devaswom Chairman. A reply is awaited and this copy will be updated when it is received. Meanwhile, the state has said it issue a clarification but, in the interim, has said all audit discrepancies had been resolved.
The opposition BJP, however, has already pounced.
On X the BJP's Pradeep Bhandari called it a "huge insult to Hindu astha by the Left government".
HUGE INSULT TO HINDU ASTHA BY LEFT GOVT IN KERALA :
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) October 22, 2025
After Sabarimala, now Guruvayur Temple, Audit reveals gold missing from temple treasury.
Left government's INTENTIONAL negligence and mismanagement of Kerala's revered temples is SHOCKING.
From Sabarimala's traditions being… pic.twitter.com/0fg7tX7hvu
"After Sabarimala, now Guruvayur Temple, Audit reveals gold missing from temple treasury," Bhandari raged, sharing a news report by NDTV. "Left government's INTENTIONAL negligence and mismanagement of Kerala's revered temples is SHOCKING."
Sabarimala Temple Gold Theft Row
Regarding the Sabarimala theft, last week the High Court said it cannot be brushed aside as an isolated act and questioned the possibility of a well-orchestrated conspiracy.
The court document accessed by NDTV summarises the intention that the judiciary wants an independent court-monitored probe to supervise and monitor the Sabarimala gold theft investigation, which is free from the technical limits of the earlier Special Commissioner's report proceedings.
The case stems from the removal of gold plating from the Dwarapalaka idols and side frames of the Sreekovil. Investigations revealed that the idols were handed over to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potti in 2019, even though rules required such repair works to be carried out inside the temple.
READ | 'Larger Scheme': High Court Calls For Wider Probe Into Sabarimala Gold Theft
The court pointed out that officials wrongly described the idols as "copper plates", allowed them to be taken out of the shrine, and never weighed them when they were returned.
According to the Special Investigation Team's report, Potti was even permitted to retain more than 400 grams of gold from the side frames. Emails accessed by investigators show that he sought the Board's permission to use some of the gold for a marriage. In all, nearly 475 grams of temple gold remains untraced, raising further questions about the Board's role.
The court said these lapses were not accidental. It noted that despite complaints about damage to the plating and a forty-year warranty in place, the same sponsor was secretly given custody of the idols again in 2025. The judges said this was likely an attempt to cover up the earlier theft.
To ensure transparency, the court ordered the registration of a new suo motu writ petition, replacing the earlier Special Commissioner's proceedings. It has also directed the SIT to seize the Minutes Book of the Board and place it under judicial custody. The idols, whose gold plates were refixed on October 17, have already been inspected as part of a court-mandated inventory.
The matter will next be heard on November 5, with the proceedings to be held in camera.
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