Mathrubhumi: Kerala: Sunday, 5th April 2026.
RTI disclosures reveal missing gold from several Kerala temples, highlighting lapses in inventory records and raising concerns over accountability and oversight.
Gold has gone missing from
several major temples across Kerala, in incidents comparable to the alleged
losses reported at Sabarimala Temple, according to information obtained through
the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The disclosures indicate that gold items were lost from Sreevaraham Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Pullu Bhagavathi Temple and Thripunithura Poornathrayeesan Temple under the Cochin Devaswom Board.
At Pullu Bhagavathi Temple, which falls under the Thrissur group of the Cochin Devaswom Board, seven gold chains weighing a total of 40.50 grams were reported missing. At Poornathrayeesan Temple, 663 milligrams of gold from the crown were lost, while Sreevaraham Temple reported the disappearance of two heritage gold chains weighing 7.750 grams.
The RTI response also noted that many Devaswom temples do not maintain a proper Thiruvabharanam (temple ornaments) register, raising concerns about inventory tracking and accountability.
The information was provided by the Public Information Officer of the Cochin Devaswom Board’s Thrissur group to Kochi-based RTI activist K Govindan Namboothiri.
Separately, citing RTI documents, the activist said that of the ₹46.53 crore sanctioned by the Central government under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme for Sabarimala development, only ₹36.27 crore has been utilised so far.
RTI disclosures reveal missing gold from several Kerala temples, highlighting lapses in inventory records and raising concerns over accountability and oversight.
 |
Gold-clad plates being
removed from outside the sanctum sanctorum for scientific examination as part
of the probe into the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala temple in Kerala |
File photo: PTI |
The disclosures indicate that gold items were lost from Sreevaraham Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Pullu Bhagavathi Temple and Thripunithura Poornathrayeesan Temple under the Cochin Devaswom Board.
At Pullu Bhagavathi Temple, which falls under the Thrissur group of the Cochin Devaswom Board, seven gold chains weighing a total of 40.50 grams were reported missing. At Poornathrayeesan Temple, 663 milligrams of gold from the crown were lost, while Sreevaraham Temple reported the disappearance of two heritage gold chains weighing 7.750 grams.
The RTI response also noted that many Devaswom temples do not maintain a proper Thiruvabharanam (temple ornaments) register, raising concerns about inventory tracking and accountability.
The information was provided by the Public Information Officer of the Cochin Devaswom Board’s Thrissur group to Kochi-based RTI activist K Govindan Namboothiri.
Separately, citing RTI documents, the activist said that of the ₹46.53 crore sanctioned by the Central government under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme for Sabarimala development, only ₹36.27 crore has been utilised so far.
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