The gold-covered Dwarapalaka idols within Sabarimala temple have come under intense scrutiny — with multiple investigations launched over the past few days. Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya had donated a massive amount of gold and copper to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in 1998. Several kilograms of gold — used for the original plating of idols and panels within the sanctum sanctorum — now appear to be missing after a restoration bid.
Forensic audits and internal assessments suggest that the plating had returned at least 4.54 kg lighter after unsanctioned repairs in 2019. Mallya had donated approximately 30 kg of gold and 1,900 kg of copper to the temple as offering for beautification efforts. The precious metals were used to create copper panels plated with gold and subsequently fitted to cover the idols and various panels.
What is the gold theft row?
Controversy had erupted late last month after the Kerala High Court highlighted discrepancies in the restoration records. It noted that the Travancore Devaswom Board had described the gold-covered idols as being ‘copper-plated’ when sending them for repairs in July 2019. A subsequent vigilance report also revealed that TDB had violated court orders by transferring the idols to a Chennai-based jewellery firm called Smart Creations for the work. This went against rules calling for such restoration work to be carried out within temple premises under official supervision.
According to reports, the statues had eventually returned to the revered Sabarimala Ayyappa temple after a 39-day delay and several transfers. But they were lighter than before and soon sparked suspicion that the original gold panels had been replaced. Speculative reports suggest that missing gold may have been sold separately as “divine trophies” to wealthy individuals while fraudulent records were maintained.
The gold plating on the original panels could be chemically stripped or removed for restoration — allowing the copper base to be re-plated with gold.