Kerala HC orders independent probe into gold used in Ettumannur temple's Ezharaponnana

Kottayam: The Kerala High Court has directed the Vigilance Wing of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to verify the quality, originality and weight of the gold used in the sacred Ezharaponnana at the Ettumannur Mahadeva Temple, following allegations that the original gold plating was replaced during repair work.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar issued the directive while hearing a suo motu case on June 23. The court asked the TDB's Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to conduct an inquiry and submit a report before the next hearing.

The Ezharaponnana is a revered set of eight golden elephant statuettes—seven large and one small—that is brought out only during the annual temple festival procession at the Ettumannur Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam.

The court proceedings stemmed from a complaint filed by devotee A G Prasad Kumar before the Travancore Devaswom Board. The complainant alleged that the Ezharaponnana had recently undergone repair and renovation, during which the original gold plates were removed and replaced with copper or other lower-value metals.

Following the complaint, the High Court initiated suo motu proceedings and sought an explanation from the Devaswom Board.

In its affidavit, the TDB submitted reports prepared by the Administrative Officer and the Assistant Devaswom Commissioner. The reports stated that temple registers had been examined and cross-verified, and that no records indicated any maintenance work on the Ezharaponnana or any misappropriation of its gold.

While noting that there was no reason to doubt the findings of the officials, the High Court observed that an independent verification by the TDB Vigilance Wing was necessary in view of the allegations.

The court directed the Chief Vigilance and Security Officer to inspect both the temple records and the Ezharaponnana before filing a detailed report.

It further instructed that the services of a qualified smith be utilised during the inquiry to scientifically examine the weight, quality and originality of the gold used in the sacred artefact.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 31.