Missing Sabarimala Dwarapalaka gold pedestal found at sponsor’s relative’s house; questions remain

Pathanamthitta: Vigilance officials at Sabarimala have recovered a missing gold pedestal, designed for the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) sculptures, from the house of a relative of the sponsor who had earlier reported it missing.

The pedestal’s alleged disappearance was first highlighted when the sponsor claimed it was missing amid a court-ordered probe into discrepancies in the Sabarimala gold plating project. Its recovery from the relative’s home has raised questions, though further details are awaited.

How the recovery unfolded

The High Court had recommended locating the missing pedestal, prompting the Travancore Devaswom Board to appoint vigilance officials for the probe. The team inspected all the board’s strong rooms before eventually tracing the pedestal to the sponsor’s relative’s house.

As part of the investigation, the sponsor, Unnikrishnan Potti, was summoned and questioned. The vigilance team also conducted searches at his residences in Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru. Clues led investigators to a relative’s house in Venjaramoodu, where the pedestal was ultimately recovered. A report will be submitted to the High Court.

Pedestal originally crafted in Chennai

In 2019, under Unnikrishnan Potti’s sponsorship, Smart Creations in Chennai applied gold plating to the copper panels of the Dwarapalaka sculptures. At the same time, work began on producing a pedestal for the sculptures.

The pedestal was made using three sovereigns of gold combined with other metals. Due to COVID restrictions, it was brought to Sannidhanam with the help of a small number of devotees.

However, when the pedestal was being fitted, Devaswom Board officials informed Potti of size discrepancies. “After that, I do not know what happened,” the sponsor said. He added, “Although I had provided the pedestal, it could not be attached to the Dwarapalaka sculpture due to size differences.”