The repair of gold-plated doors at Sabarimala is hampered by the mercury ban and scandal worries.
The forest department has notified TDB that since the hillock is located within a tiger reserve, no authorization will be given to bring mercury there. Given the sensitivity of the situation, TDB is unlikely to request authorization to move the doors outside the hillock for repair.
Another important project to repair the temple's gold-plated doors has encountered an unforeseen obstacle as the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) gets ready to reinstall gold-clad copper plates on the Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols at Sabarimala on October 17.
A prohibition on bringing mercury to the hill temple has cast doubt on the project as the yearly pilgrimage season draws near.
Although the Tantri and the High Court have granted the board permission to repair the Sannidhanam, progress has been halted by administrative and legal obstacles. It is proving challenging to remove the doors for repair, especially in light of the ongoing dispute over the "missing gold" from previous plating projects.
TDB president P.S. Prasanth confirmed the challenge and clarified that the ban was a result of India's commitment as a signatory to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which governs the use of the material. Prior to the forthcoming Mandalam season, the doors urgently need to be repaired, but the plan has run into trouble. Since the hillock is located inside a tiger reserve, the Forest Department has advised us that no authorization will be given to bring mercury there," he stated.
Given the sensitive nature of the situation, officials also said that the TDB was unlikely to request authorization to move the doors outside the hillock for repair.
Evidence against Unnikrishnan Potti, who allegedly sponsored the works and put the golden door on display at different locations to solicit money without permission, has already been gathered by the Devaswom Vigilance team looking into the 2019 gold-plating scandal.
In the meantime, the TDB has reported the existence of an unofficial "business eco-system" that operates outside of its purview and makes money under Lord Ayyappa's name.
This network is primarily made up of people who have previously worked at Sabarimala, albeit outside the board, and now use the organization as a front to demand money from followers in the name of Sabarimala's ruling deity. Major cities like Bengaluru and Chennai are where we have found them," Mr. Prasanth stated.
He cited the case of Mr. Potti, who is being investigated in relation to the gold-plating scandal, as evidence that this network had previously worked in collusion with some senior Devaswom Board officials, but he clarified that this was only one instance out of many.
He said that an inquiry was also necessary to determine whether any board members were involved in these rackets. "In light of this, we have made the decision to request that the High Court conduct a thorough investigation into the matters pertaining to Sabarimala," he continued.
In order to improve communication and allow devotees to visit the Sabarimala temple directly, without the need for middlemen, Mr. Prasanth stated that this matter would be a major focus of the second edition of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, which will take place next year.
