A Mahindra Thar SUV, received as an offering at the Guruvayur Sri Krishna temple in Kerala, was auctioned for Rs 43 lakh on Monday—nearly three times that of its last year’s auction value.
This is the same SUV—a limited edition red Mahindra Thar—that had triggered a controversy in December 2021 when it was won in an auction by Bahrain-based Amal Mohammed Ali, where he was the sole bidder. The bidding was later declared void as some persons approached the court.
The Guruvayur temple devaswom had to open it for another auction after the original sale was protested by a section of the devaswom. The matter reached the Kerala High Court, which suggested a public hearing to resolve the matter. The re-auctioning was decided at the public hearing.
The fresh auction held on Monday had 15 bidders, with the base price of the limited-edition Thar set at Rs 15 lakh. The bid was won by Malappuram native and Dubai-based businessman Vignesh Vijayakumar; the auction was attended by his father Vijayakumar.
The vehicle was given as an offering by Mahindra & Mahindra last year.