Sculptor says Unnikrishnan Potti oversaw Sabarimala work, denies door frame removal claims

The new door of the sanctum sanctorum at the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala was made by sculptor Elavally Nandan. In an interview, Nandan explains how the work came to him and reveals that during a recent visit to the temple, he had informed authorities that the lustre of the golden panels had faded.

How did you receive the work to build the golden door of the Sabarimala temple?
The work on the door of the sanctum sanctorum was my first project at Sabarimala. Later, I received the opportunity to make the Pazhukkamandapam, the Ashadikpalakas on the roof, and the Navagraha idols at Balikalpura.

Before all this, I had built the door of the Ayyappa Temple at Jalahalli in Bengaluru, where I met GSN Potti, who was the melsanthi (chief priest) there. In 2018, he called to ask whether I was interested in making a new door for the sanctum sanctorum at Sabarimala. When I agreed, he said another person would contact me. That person was Unnikrishnan Potti, who called me later.

Did you know Unnikrishnan Potti earlier?
No. At that time, Unnikrishnan Potti told me that the golden door at the Sabarimala temple had suffered some damage, which allowed rats to enter the sanctum sanctorum. He said the damage was to the wooden part of the door beneath the gold covering.

Aji Kumar, a native of Pallikkathode in Kottayam, donated the money to purchase the wood for the new door. The teakwood was bought from a timber trader in Thrissur with Aji Kumar’s consent.

What was the role of Unnikrishnan Potti?
Potti managed all the activities—from September 2018, when I went to the temple to take measurements for the door, until March 11, 2019, when the new door was installed.

It was Potti who took me to Sabarimala to take the measurements in September 2018, when protests over the entry of women into the temple were at their peak. He obtained the necessary police permissions for the visit. After taking the measurements, I returned to Bengaluru and completed the work.

The new door was then taken to Sabarimala to check if it fit. We removed the old door and fixed the new one temporarily to confirm the dimensions. Once verified, the door was removed and sent to Hyderabad to be covered with copper plates.

My task was limited to creating the wooden door, so I’m unaware of the developments that followed. The door was later brought back to Sabarimala after being covered with copper plates and gold-plated. The size was rechecked on December 11, 2018, and the consecration ceremony was held on March 11, 2019.

Is it true that the door frames were also taken away?
The claim that the entire door frames were removed is false. The frames are made of granite stone and are engraved with figures of the 12 rasis. Only the panels covering them can be removed.

The Dwarapalaka idols were plated with gold only after the door work was completed.

When I visited Sabarimala recently, I noticed that the golden lustre of the panels had faded and informed the authorities about it.

At the same time, he claimed that he had no idea about the gold plate on the old door. He noted that only the lock was taken from the old door and installed on the new one.