What was stolen from Kowdiar Palace? Inside the ₹2 crore royal jewellery theft list
Thiruvananthapuram: A major theft has been reported at Kowdiar Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, where antique jewellery worth more than ₹2 crore is suspected to have been stolen.
The complaint was filed by senior royal family member Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, following which the Peroorkada Police Station registered a case and began an investigation.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), around 12 pieces of jewellery were missing from an almirah in Gowri Lakshmi Bayi’s bedroom. The theft is believed to have taken place between October and November 2025.
Police said the ornaments weighed more than 40 sovereigns of gold and were studded with precious stones. Due to their antique and inherited nature, their actual value may be significantly higher than the estimated ₹2 crore.
Items reported missing from Kowdiar Palace
The FIR lists several traditional and antique ornaments that were allegedly stolen. These include:
- Naga Padam mala and earrings
- Pichi Pummott design gold anklets
- Gold chain mixed with coral and pearls
- Anklets with black pearls and gold beads
- Broad and narrow twisted gold bangles
- Earrings with hanging red stone “Kunja” design
- Gold locket and twisted chain with green enamel leaves and white conch design
- Gold Kuzhiminnu mala
- Gold locket engraved with the image of Padmanabhaswamy
- Okkan bangles studded with rubies and diamonds
- Horse coins and other antique ornaments
- In total, 12 jewellery items were reported missing.
- Internal inquiry before police complaint
The royal family initially conducted an internal inquiry after noticing the ornaments were missing. The jewellery was reportedly last seen about 10 days before the cupboard was opened in November 2025 when Gowri Lakshmi Bayi was preparing to travel to Bengaluru.
Family members initially suspected that the ornaments might have been temporarily taken by someone within the palace for personal use. However, after several months of checking internally and failing to locate the items, the family approached the police.
Police investigation underway
Police have registered the case under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft.
A special team led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police has started investigating the case. Officers have visited the palace, recorded the complainant’s statement, and begun examining CCTV footage from the premises.
Investigators are also questioning palace employees and reviewing records of visitors as part of the probe to determine how the ornaments disappeared.
Kowdiar Palace serves as the official residence of the Travancore royal family, which ruled large parts of southern Kerala until India’s independence. The royal family has so far declined to comment further on the incident while the investigation continues.