Rs 2.5 cr worth jewels missing from temple

Gold ornaments worth Rs 2.5 crore have gone missing from Madhur Siddhivinayaka Sri Madanantheshwara temple. These ornaments have been offered by devotees to the presiding deity and the issue came to light when the Audit Division looked into the details of the temple.

The auditing team was led by Senior Deputy Director Vinod Kumar.

It is said that the ornaments used on daily basis to embellish the idol of the deity are left intact while only exclusive, heavy and expensive ornaments are missing.

The officials have made a list of all the ornaments that have been missing and a request has been made to the Minister of Endowment to order inquiry into the ornament missing case. A report in this regard will be submitted to the Government at the earliest.

The temple enjoys a special status in the list of temples coming under Malabar Daivaswom Board. Every year the auditors make a separate entry of all the movable and immovable assets of the temple and while comparing last year and this year’s entry list, startling degree of difference was found with regard to the ornaments. The loss is estimated to run into crores of rupees.

However, even in the past  apprehensions were raised over the functioning of Malabar Daivaswom Board and several allegations were levelled on the misuse of the temple funds. Though the misappropriation at Hosadurga Mariyamma Temple were proved no action was initiated against erring officers.
Unaware

Malabar Daivaswom Board Members and Temple Standing Committee President Kottara Vasudeva said that he is not aware of the temple ornaments worth Rs 2.5 crore going missing. He said that however, inquiry into the same will reveal the truth.

On the other hand, Kasargod Assistant Commissioner of the Board M Sugunan said that some sections of people are spreading rumours to tarnish the fame of the Board. “The ornaments of the temple are kept safe intact in the two lockers of a Bank. There is separate list of ornaments of the temple,” he said.