Pavaratti (Thrissur): Before the Sabarimala gold-plating controversy emerged, sculptor Elavally Nandakumar, who built the new door for the sanctum sanctorum (Sreekovil), said that he was contacted over the phone by Unnikrishnan Potti, the sponsor. According to him, Potti inquired whether a copper sheet had been placed to prevent insects or rats from entering through the door. Nandakumar has now revealed that the call felt suspicious, and that it was only four days later that the gold-plating controversy came to light.

The Dwarapalaka (temple guardian) sculpture, which was delivered with gold-plating by Unnikrishnan Potti, reportedly showed signs of tarnish. Noticing this, Nandakumar had informed several people about it. The new door for the Sabarimala sanctum was constructed in December 2018 at the Shrirampura Ayyappa Temple in Bengaluru, as per the instructions of Unnikrishnan Potti. The wood was sourced from Chovvur in Thrissur. Copper sheeting was done in Hyderabad, and the gold-plating was carried out in Chennai.

The door was received ceremonially at the Ilampally Temple in Kottayam before being taken to Sabarimala. Actor Jayaram also attended this ceremony, Nandakumar added.

Received copper sheets, not gold; Sponsor stands by statement

Meanwhile, Unnikrishnan Potti reiterated that it was indeed copper sheets that were given by the Devaswom Board for gold-plating. This same claim was reiterated during questioning by the Devaswom Vigilance on Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday morning, Potti was questioned for about two and a half hours. He stated that the expenses for the gold-plating were borne by three individuals, including himself, and that it cost approximately ₹15 lakh. The sheets were taken to Bengaluru, not for public display, but for rituals (puja). The officials themselves had handed over the sheets to him. Potti added that he was unaware of the legal procedures involved and that it was up to the officials to respond on such matters.

Why was gold purchased?

Unnikrishnan Potti claims that it was copper sheets that were handed over in 2019, and that gold was plated onto these. It remains to be clarified whether the copper sheets were new or already existing.

Earlier, in the initial days of the controversy, Potti had told Mathrubhumi that he had purchased half a kilogram of gold for the plating. He later clarified that only 397 grams were actually used, and that the remaining gold was used to make a chain, which was donated to the Malikappuram temple. However, it remains unclear why gold had to be purchased if the gold was already present on the copper sheets provided by Malya earlier.