Kochi: The Kerala high court on Wednesday ordered the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to bring back from Chennai the gold-plated copper sheets that had been taken there for repair and originally belonged to the Sabarimala temple.
The HC’s directions came in response to a report submitted by the Sabarimala Special Commissioner in which the latter informed the court that the gold-plated sheets, fitted on the Dwarapalaka idols at the shrine, were taken to Chennai without the prior approval of the court.
The HC said it was ‘inappropriate to remove them without prior approval.’
The court said that in matters like this, prior permission must be sought from the Special Commissioner’s office and the High Court.
Special Commissioner R Jayakrishnan, in his report, had requested the HC to instruct the TDB not to conduct any major maintenance work at the Sabarimala or Malikappuram shrines without prior approval.
However, the TDB told the court that the gold-plated sheets were transported to Chennai in a secure manner with the approval of the temple’s thanthri (chief priest) and the members of the Board.
The sheets, it said, were detached from the idols of the Dwarapalakas after the Onam pujas at the shrine after obtaining necessary approvals from the Thanthri and sent for repairs at the expense of the sponsor.
{{/usCountry}}The sheets, it said, were detached from the idols of the Dwarapalakas after the Onam pujas at the shrine after obtaining necessary approvals from the Thanthri and sent for repairs at the expense of the sponsor.
{{/usCountry}}TDB president PS Prashanth said that the unnecessary controversy was being fuelled to tarnish the upcoming Global Ayyappa Sangamam.