A rat or a robber? Mystery at Thrissur Pazhayannur temple as gold crown disappears

Pazhayannur(Thrissur): The disappearance of a gold crown studded with stones from the Pazhayannur Bhagavathi temple under the Cochin Devaswom Board continues to be a mystery. It is still not known whether the 15-gram crown was stolen by a rat or a thief. The crown was stored in a thin cover and it was seen torn, which raises suspicions that the thief was a rat. No other items were stolen.

On Thursday, a vigilance team led by Devaswom Chief Vigilance Officer C N Sivadasan visited the temple and conducted an investigation. The investigation report will be submitted to the Devaswom soon.

The crown’s disappearance came to light during a cross-verification of the temple's asset register following the appointment of Sachin Varma as the new Devaswom Officer. A gold appraiser brought in for the verification found the crown missing. The item was listed in the Pandam and Patram register in 2013 and is believed to belong to Pallipurathaappan (Vishnu), the main deity within the temple enclosure.

It is believed that the crown of Pallipurathaappan (Vishnu), the main deity inside the temple's enclosure, was lost. Inspections were initiated at the temple under the leadership of Vigilance Officer Sheeja. Dineshan, the current officer of the temple, checked the register when he took charge in 2023 and signed it after being convinced. None of the other centuries-old artefacts kept in the locker inside the enclosure was lost. A new officer was appointed when Dineshan took leave.

This crown has only been recorded in the Pandam and Patram (ornament and vessel) register since 2013. Dineshan said that this crown is not offered on auspicious days or festivals and that there are two red stones on the crown. Temple Advisory Committee President K P Sreejayan demanded that the Devaswom conduct an investigation into the incident and take action against the culprits.