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Eight diamonds missing from Padmanabhaswamy temple

  • Amicus curiae's report to the Supreme Court says eight gems - which form part of the idol's 'namam' - are missing
  • Though officially valued at around Rs 21 lakh, the missing diamonds are worth much more due to their antiquity
  • The diamonds were kept in cellars near the sanctum sanctorum and used to be taken out for daily rituals
8 diamonds missing sree Padmanabhaswamy temple idol sc report

In a shocking revelation, an amicus curiae report to the Supreme Court claims that eight diamonds from the idol of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram have gone missing.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, the amicus appointed by the SC to bring transparency in the temple's administration, says eight gems - which form part of the idol's 'namam' (tilak) - went missing in May and the Crime Branch is currently investigating the incident.

Though officially valued at around Rs 21 lakh, Subramanium suggests the missing diamonds are worth much more due to their antiquity, according to a The Hindu report.

The diamonds were kept in cellars near the sanctum sanctorum and used to be taken out for daily rituals performed on the idol. In his report to the SC, Subramanium says the temple’s executive officer KN Satheesh reported the matter in May, after the treasurer found the gems missing. 

"The amicus curiae notes with some regret that eight diamonds which are a part of the namam (tilakam) of the Lord have been reported as missing. The valuation of the diamonds is one reflected in registers from at least 70-80 years ago. As a consequence of the same, the true value of any of these items is not reflected in the Mudalpadi’s register," says the report 

The incident happened 10 months after a special audit report by Vinod Rai committee found that gold worth Rs 186 crore had mysteriously gone missing from the temple's cellars.

According to the Rai committee's audit, gold worth 186 crore in the form of 769 gold pots were not traceable. It also stated that another 263 kg gold was lost when the gold was sent out for melting and purification.

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