Sabarimala 'doshas': Travancore Devaswom Board begins remedial rituals at temples across Keralam
Kasaragod, August 6
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.
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
Reader Comments
Sabarimala is such a special place for millions of devotees. It's sad to hear about these issues – both the 'dosham' and the gold scam. The rituals are fine, but what about accountability for those who misused the gold? Will the SIT really get to the bottom of this? The common devotee is the one who suffers when faith is misused for personal gain. 😔
While I respect the tradition of doing remedies for doshas, shouldn't we also question how these huge gold donations are tracked? Vijay Mallya donated 30 kg of gold in 1998, and now there's a discrepancy? This needs a full public audit. Faith shouldn't blind us to mismanagement. Clean administration is the real remedy for temple wealth.
It's good that they are taking steps to atone for the 'vak dosham' – our elders always say that words have power, especially in sacred spaces. But the bigger issue is that some people are using temple resources for their own benefit. Remedy rituals are needed, but so are strong laws and strict punishment for those who steal from temples. That's what will truly please Lord Ayyappa. 😊
As someone who has visited Sabarimala many times, this news makes me feel let down. The rituals might help spiritually, but the real repairs needed are in the management. First it was the entry controversy, now this gold issue. Hope the SIT brings out the full truth and ensures such incidents don't happen again. Faith is precious; let's not allow anyone to exploit it.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.