Thiruvananthapuram/Pathanamthitta: The restored gold-plated panels at Sabarimala, brought back under the High Court’s supervision, will be reinstalled on October 17, coinciding with the opening of the temple for the Thulamasa pooja. The panels will be reinstalled in the presence of the chief priest, and are currently secured in the strongroom at the Sannidhanam, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said on Saturday.

The controversy erupted after allegations of misappropriation surfaced regarding the gold-plated copper foils covering the intricate stone carvings at the temple. Opposition parties claimed that the TDB had removed the panels for repairs and entrusted them to sponsor Unnikrishnan Potty, alleging theft and misuse.

Gold-clad copper plates and pedestals were first removed in 2019 for repairs and entrusted to the sponsor Unnikrishan Potty, after which they were returned 39 days later with a recorded weight of 38.258 kg, showing a reduction of 4.541 kg. In September 2025, the Board again removed the panels, citing ongoing damage. The Sabarimala Special Commissioner reported to the High Court on September 9 that the 2025 removal occurred without prior judicial approval. During the course of the investigation, two pedestals were recovered from Potty’s sister’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram on September 28.

Meanwhile, the Board on Saturday clarified that the panels were never handed over to the sponsor. "As per the mahazar, the 14 gold-plated panels from the Dwarapalaka sculptures weighed 38 kg, with 397 grams of gold. Two intact panels were retained at Sabarimala, while the remaining 12—totalling 22 kg and containing 281 grams of gold—were sent for repair," the board said.

“During restoration at Smart Creations, Chennai, 10 grams of gold were used for replating. After completion, the panels were returned under High Court direction. The gold content of the 12 panels increased to 291 grams, raising the total gold in all 14 panels from 397 grams to 407 grams,” the TDB stated.

The Board also noted that during the 2019 repair work, a 40-year warranty had been provided by Smart Creations and the sponsor. Since the warranty was registered in the sponsor’s name, the same sponsor was approached in 2025 for repairs.

“TDB has nothing to hide. We are seeking a full investigation to ensure transparency,” the statement said. TDB will request the Kerala High Court to conduct a comprehensive probe into the matter, including the reduction in gold weight since 1998, when businessman Vijay Mallya sponsored the gold plating, and any misuse of the “sponsor” designation.

The Board accused Opposition Leader V D Satheesan of repeating “baseless allegations” initially raised by Unnikrishnan Potty, who claimed that four kilograms of gold were misappropriated. “These allegations aim to deflect attention from Potty’s embarrassment, as his relative was found with gold that he claimed was missing,” the Board said.

It added that some groups, uneasy with the success of the Global Ayyappa Samgamam, were exploiting the issue to tarnish the Board’s reputation.

The TDB also clarified that, as part of the Gold Monetisation Scheme, it recently transferred 467 kilograms of gold to the Reserve Bank of India under state audit and court directives. The gold, stored across 18 strongrooms, is categorised as A (ancient), B (used for rituals and festivals), and C (miscellaneous gold items), under the supervision of the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner.

As part of the Board’s digitisation initiative, a cloud-based software system has been developed in collaboration with NIC Chennai to digitally record all temple valuables, including ornaments, across Devaswom institutions.

“Those found guilty must be punished. However, making false allegations to attack the Board and the sanctity of Sabarimala for narrow political gains is unacceptable,” the statement added.