Sabarimala 'dosham': TDB begins special rituals at 25 Keralam temples

The Travancore Devaswom Board has initiated special rituals across 25 temples to remedy a 'dosham' at Sabarimala. Meanwhile, two former TDB officials are in custody over an alleged gold misappropriation case related to the temple.

The Travancore Devaswom Board has begun special rituals at temples across Keralam to address alleged 'doshas' associated with the Sabarimala temple. The rituals are being conducted at around 25 temples, including the Mookambika Temple in Kollur, as part of measures to remedy what has been described as a 'vak dosham' (adverse effects caused by words).

Special rituals were performed at the Kollur Mookambika Temple in Karnataka and at temples in Kasaragod. At the Mookambika Temple, a bell, tongue and stylus were offered as part of the ritual. A Maha Puja will also be conducted after the Navaratri celebrations.

According to the Devaswom Board, the 'dosham' was identified during a Deva Prashnam conducted in 2018. It was reportedly attributed to alleged abusive language used by employees and security personnel towards devotees at Sabarimala.

As part of the remedial measures, a Ranga Puja will be conducted at the Kumaramangalam Subrahmanya Swamy Temple at Bela in Kasaragod. Special rituals will subsequently be held at the Vishnu Temple in Edakkad, Kannur, and the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur. Similar rituals are also planned at the Koodalmanikyam Temple and around 20 other temples, according to the Devaswom Board. Ahead of the Ranga Puja, a Karthika Puja and offering of kanikka were held at the Subrahmanya Swamy Temple in Kasaragod.

Sabarimala Gold Misappropriation Probe

Earlier on July 28, the Kollam Vigilance Court granted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) one-day custody of two accused in the alleged Sabarimala gold misappropriation case to facilitate detailed custodial interrogation.The accused, former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President PS Prashanth and former TDB member A Ajikumar, were remanded to the custody of the SIT, which is probing the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The SIT was constituted following directions from the Kerala High Court to investigate the alleged irregularities in the handling of gold donated to the temple.

The case pertains to the alleged misappropriation of approximately 4.54 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple, including gold used for the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames and Dwarapalaka idols. The alleged irregularities are said to have taken place in 2019 during work undertaken for refinishing and re-gold-plating temple structures.

The controversy has its origins in a 1998 donation made by industrialist Vijay Mallya, who donated 30.3 kilograms of gold and around 1,900 kilograms of copper for gold-plating and cladding work at the Sabarimala temple. Subsequent inspections and court-monitored inquiries reportedly found discrepancies between the quantity of gold donated and the amount allegedly used during the work. (ANI)

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