Retired Kerala High Court judge K.T. Sankaran has initiated a court-mandated appraisal of valuables at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Appointed by the High Court, Mr. Sankaran commenced his visit to the hill shrine on Saturday, October 11, 2025, to conduct an examination of its strongroom and compile a detailed inventory of its contents. He was accompanied by officials from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), including a goldsmith. Following procedures at Sabarimala, Mr. Sankaran is scheduled to inspect the TDB’s main strongroom in Aranmula on Monday, October 13, 2025.
This appraisal follows a High Court order for a probe into an alleged reduction in the weight of gold-clad copper plates of the temple’s Dwarapalaka idols. Additionally, the court recently directed State police to register a criminal case regarding the alleged misappropriation of gold from the shrine and to launch a formal investigation. Upon the completion of his task, Mr. Sankaran will submit his comprehensive report directly to the High Court.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/former-kerala-high-court-judge-kt-sankaran-begins-appraisal-of-valuables-at-sabarimala-temple/article70151175.ece