Page 2 - Sabarimala

SIT arrests Sabarimala administrative officer in gold missing case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing gold from the Sabarimala temple arrested former administrative officer B Murari Babu, sources said on Thursday. Babu, who was suspended by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) following the gold missing row, was taken into custody from his residence in Changanassery on Wednesday night, they said. He was later shifted to the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram for interrogation, officials said. Babu's relatives reached the Crime Branch office on Thursday morning. At around 10 am, SIT recorded Babu's arrest and informed his relative about the procedure, sources said. They were later allowed to meet the Babu. SIT will produce Babu before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Pathanamthitta here in the evening, officials said. SIT is likely to file a petition in court seeking custody of Babu for detailed interrogation. He is an accused in two cases related to the disappearance of gold from the gold-clad plates of

SIT to submit 1st progress report on Sabarimala gold case to Kerala HC

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the loss of gold from Sabarimala is expected to file its first progress report to the Kerala High Court soon, police sources said on Monday. The division bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and KV Jayakumar will hear the case again on Tuesday. Sources told PTI that the SIT plans to submit the report on the same day. Officials said the report will cover the current status of the investigation, including the arrest of Bengaluru-based Unnikrishnan Potty, who sponsored the electroplating of gold-clad copper plates on the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum )door frames in 2019. It will also detail the investigation carried out at Chennai, where the plates were electroplated, sources said. The High Court, while assigning the SIT to the case, had directed the team to file a progress report within two weeks and set a six-week deadline to complete the investigation. The SIT has registered two cases related to

New chief priest appointed for Sabarimala ahead of pilgrimage season

With the annual Manadalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season just weeks away, Prasad E D from Thrissur was selected on Saturday as the new 'melsanthi' (chief priest) of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple here. Manu Namboothiri M G, a native of Mayyanadu in Kollam district, was chosen as the melsanthi of Malikappuram shrine, situated just 100 meters away from Lord Ayyappa temple. The selection was made through a traditional draw after the 'Ushapooj' (morning prayer) at hill temple which was opened for the 'thulam' month poojas on Friday, Travancore Devaswom Board sources here said. TDB is the body which manages several temples in the state, including Sabarimala. Hailing from Chalakudy in Thrissur, Prasad has been serving as a priest in Areswaram Dharmasastha Temple for the past three years. Speaking to a TV channel, he expressed happiness over his selection as the chief priest at the Lord Ayyappa temple. An ardent Ayyappa devotee, Prasad said he would like to reach the shrine a

Kerala BJP accuses CPI(M) of using hijab row to divert from Sabarimala case

Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday accused the ruling CPI(M) of "manufacturing" the hijab controversy to divert attention from the Sabarimala gold missing case. Speaking to reporters, Chandrasekhar said the row over hijab use at St Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, Kochi, was being used to shift focus away from the alleged theft of 4.5 kilograms of gold from the Sabarimala temple. "This is a political tactic to draw attention away from the Sabarimala gold case. It will not succeed," he said, alleging the role of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in "manufacturing" a row over the matter. "The BJP will stand firmly to protect the rights of the school and its students," he told reporters at Tripunithura near here. He criticised State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan and the Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman, demanding that both resign immediately. "If they have any sense of decency, they should step down. Otherwise, we will seek a central agency investigation,"

Kerala SIT arrests prime accused in Sabarimala temple missing gold case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing cases related to gold missing from Kerala's Sabarimala temple arrested prime accused Unnikrishnan Potty on Friday, officials said. Police sources said Potty, a Bengaluru-based businessman who was taken into custody from his residence at Pulimath near here on Thursday, was interrogated at the Crime Branch office in Thiruvananthapuram. After the interrogation, the SIT recorded his arrest on Friday, the sources said. Later, Potty was taken to the government hospital for a medical examination. The SIT would be shifting him to Pathanamthitta by afternoon. He would be produced before a court in Ranni, Pathanamthitta, later. The SIT will also seek Potty's custody for detailed interrogation. The SIT constituted on the Kerala High Court's direction is currently investigating two cases -- one concerning the missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and another related to the loss of gold from the Sreekovil door frames. SIT officials are also loo

Sabarimala gold row: Retired HC judge reaches temple to prepare inventory

Kerala High Court retired Judge Justice K T Sankaran on Saturday reached Sabarimala here to prepare an inventory of all valuables, including gold, as directed by the HC to check the missing of gold-clad materials from the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) of the hill shrine. Justice Sankaran had arrived at Pampa, the foothills of Sabarimala, on October 10 and trekked to the temple around 8 am on Saturday. He was accompanied by Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials, including a goldsmith, sources said. The team will complete the examination of the strongroom at Sabarimala and prepare a detailed inventory. According to officials, after completing the procedures there, Justice Sankaran will also examine the TDB's main strongroom at Aranmula. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar had recommended Justice Sankaran for the task, citing his expertise in such matters. Upon completion, he will submit the report directly to the High Court. The court had earlier ordered

Kerala HC orders registration of criminal case over Sabarimala gold issue

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the state police to register a criminal case in connection with the "misappropriation of gold" from the "side frame or lintels" of the shrine and launch an investigation. A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar issued the direction after noting that from the investigation conducted till now, "it appears that insofar as the side frames or lintels are concerned, misappropriation of gold has been carried out". The bench further said that it was also revealed from the vigilance report placed before it that "substantial quantity of gold -- amounting to about 474.9 grams -- was handed over to Unnikrishnan Potty (the sponsor who offered to carry out the gold-plating)". "However, the records do not reveal that this quantity of gold was entrusted with the TDB (by him)," the court added. The bench directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by it to probe the side frame/lintels issue also along with all the other aspe

Oppn walks out of Kerala Assembly after motion on Sabarimala gold denied

The Congress-led opposition staged a walkout from the Kerala assembly on Friday after Speaker A N Shamseer denied them permission to move an adjournment motion to discuss the alleged disappearance of over 4 kg of gold from Sabarimala. The Speaker denied permission to the motion, saying that according to the rules of procedure of the House, a matter or issue which is sub-judice -- pending before the court -- cannot be discussed in the assembly. Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said that there was precedence of sub-judice issues being discussed in the House, to which the Speaker said, "Precedence cannot supersede rules, and someone has to bell the cat. I am belling the cat now." Satheesan further said that the issue raised by the opposition was a serious one, as the High Court has ordered a probe into the matter. He also said that Ayyappa devotees are disappointed over the issue of over 4 kgs of gold going missing from Sabarimala. "Since permission has be

No fresh affidavit filed on Sabarimala, rituals strictly followed, says TDB

Travancore Devaswom Board President P S Prasanth on Wednesday said the board's last affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court in 2016 sought to protect the traditional rituals and customs related to the entry of young women in the Sabarimala temple. No new affidavit has been submitted since then, and the previous one is no longer relevant, he told reporters here. Prasanth was responding to a question about whether the TDB would change its position in the apex court regarding the entry of women of menstruating age group into the Lord Ayyappa shrine. The opposition Congress and BJP have asked the TDB to clarify its stance on the issue. The TDB president said in the past four to five years, all rituals and customs have been strictly followed at the Sabarimala temple, without any deviations. "The matter is pending before the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. As far as the TDB is concerned, the last affidavit submitted by the Board in 2016 wanted to protect the rituals and cust

Swami Chatbot gets great response from devotees in Kerala's Sabarimala

Chatbot offers assistance to the devotees on various fronts, including a food chart for pilgrims, informs about the timings for the temple's closing and opening, and KSRTC bus schedule

IMD launches dedicated weather forecast for Sabarimala pilgrimage

In a first for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has introduced a localised weather forecasting system, similar to those for the Amarnath and Char Dham yatras. IMD officials announced on Thursday that its regional centre has installed three rain gauges at Sannidhanam, Pamba, and Nilakkal to issue three-day weather forecasts. These forecasts will soon be upgraded to real-time weather bulletins, known as "nowcasts," said IMD regional director Neetha K Gopal. Recognising the challenges posed by rising temperatures and high humidity during dry spells, the IMD also plans to install temperature gauges in the area. The initiative follows a request from the Pathanamthitta district administration, which sought real-time weather updates for Sabarimala due to the region's susceptibility to extreme rainfall. Recent landslides in Wayanad have further emphasised the need for caution in sensitive areas. Authorities revealed that while the IMD initially consider

Pilgrims without online booking to get darshan at Sabarimala: Kerala CM

The Kerala government on Tuesday made it clear that the pilgrims who visit Sabarimala without virtual queue booking will also be provided smooth darshan at the Lord Ayyappa temple. The Pinarayi Vijayan government backtracked from its earlier decision to provide darshan only through online registration during the upcoming pilgrimage season amidst widespread protest. Chief Minister Vijayan made the announcement in the Assembly, while replying to a submission by V Joy (CPI-M) in this regard. "Facilities for smooth darshan will be ensured for pilgrims who come without (online) registration as well...Darshan will be ensured to those who do not register online and those who come without knowing about the system," he said. Similar facilities had been provided in the hill temple during the last pilgrim season as well, he said. However, the chief minister, during his brief speech, didn't clearly state whether the spot booking system would be maintained as it was in the previous year, along

2 Alternative alignments examined for Kerala Sabari rail project: Vaishnaw

The proposed Sabarimala railway project in Kerala has not made progress even after so many years of efforts due to lack of cooperation from the state government and two alternatives alignments are being looked at, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. The project, also known as Sabari rail project, is aimed at providing connectivity for pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala temple in the state. The Railways Minister told the Lok Sabha that two alternative alignments are being looked at for the project. Sabari rail project is another classic case study in which despite so many years of efforts, it has not made the kind of progress it should have because of the lack of cooperation from the state government on the issue of land acquisition and giving matching funds, he said during the Question Hour. "Right now, we are working on two possible alternative alignments. One alignment will take the project line very close to the shrine and other alignment will terminate at around 25

Sabarimala Greenfield Airport has got site, defence clearance: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Thursday said in the Assembly that the Central government has granted site and defence clearance for the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport project. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that an application for security clearance is under consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CM was responding to a notice by CPI(M) MLA K U Jenish Kumar calling his attention to the necessity to expedite the construction of the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport. Vijayan said that an environmental impact study report has been prepared and steps were being taken to submit it before the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change for approval. Besides that, a seven-member expert committee, appointed to study the final Social Impact Assessment study report prepared by the Center for Management Development (CMD), has submitted its recommendations regarding the project, he said. Based on the committee's recommendations, the process of acquiring around 2,570 acres

Sabarimala witnesses surge in pilgrims during Mandalam-Makaravilakku: TDB

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Saturday announced a significant increase in the number of pilgrims who visited the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple during the just concluded two-month Mandalam-Makaravilakku season. The TDB manages the famed hill shrine situated in Pathanamthitta district. In a statement, TDB President P S Prasanth noted a significant upswing in total revenue as well. Prasanth said the total revenue for the 2023-24 Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku season reached Rs 357.47 crore, marking a notable increase of Rs 10 crore from the previous year. Highlighting the increase in devotees, Prasanth said that over 50 lakh pilgrims flocked the temple during this season, surpassing the previous year's count of 44 lakh (44,16,219). The TDB president said that an additional five lakh devotees visited the temple this time, reflecting a substantial increase in spiritual participation.

Sabarimala witnesses unprecedented rush of devotees ahead of Mandala pooja

The famed Lord Ayyappa temple here is witnessing unprecedented heavy rush on Wednesday morning with just hours left for the performance of the auspicious Mandala pooja at the hill shrine. Long queues of pilgrims carrying the sacred bundle of "irunmudikettu" on their heads and chanting "swamiye saranam Ayyappa" mantras could be seen at the Sannidhanam, the temple complex. The sea of devotees was waiting to get a glimpse of the mandala pooja which marks the culmination of the first leg of the two month-long annual pilgrimage at the Lord Ayyappa temple. A ceremonial procession carrying the sacred Thanka Anki (golden attire) of Lord Ayyappa reached the hill shrine here last evening. According to temple management sources, the pooja would be performed after adorning the 'anki' on the idol of Lord Ayyappa, the principal deity. The poojas and rituals would be performed between 10.30 am and 11.30 am, they said. After the Mandala Pooja, the shrine would be closed by 11.00 pm and would be

Over 13 Sabarimala pilgrims injured as bus overturns in Kottayam, Kerala

More than 13 Sabarimala pilgrims were injured after a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident in Kottayam district on Wednesday morning, police said. The accident occurred at Kanamala, near Erumeli, they said. The pilgrims, hailing from Kolar in neighbouring Karnataka, were proceeding to the hill shrine located in Pathanamthitta district. A senior official said as many as 43 people, including 40 pilgrims, were in the vehicle when it overturned after the driver lost control of it. Over 13 people suffered injuries, he said. Four injured pilgrims were rushed to the government medical College here, he said, adding that four persons were taken to the general hospital and some other accident victims were admitted to a nearby private hospital, the official added.

Airport clearance near Sabarimala great news for spiritual tourism: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed the Civil Aviation Ministry's site clearance for a greenfield airport project at Kottayam and termed it as a "great news for spiritual tourism". The Civil Aviation Ministry had on April 13 informed the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC) about the site clearance for the airport that would come up close to the famed Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala. The ministry also asked the KSIDC to proceed with preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and to send that along with an application for grant of 'in-principle' approval to it for further necessary action. Subsequently, the ministry tweeted: "After several rounds of engagement with the project proponent - KSIDC/Government of Kerala, MoCA has granted Site Clearance for a Greenfield Airport project at Kottayam (Sabarimala) which will enhance connectivity and development in the region." "The Kottayam Greenfield Airport project is proposed to be developed on ...

Necessary permissions for building Sabarimala airport received: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the groundwork for building a new airport at Sabarimala has started after obtaining the necessary permissions. Vijayan said this while inaugurating a major road project in Pathanamthitta district where the famous hilltop shrine of Lord Ayyappa is located. "Process has been initiated to construct a new airport for Sabarimala. Necessary permissions for the same have been received," Vijayan said at an online event. Constructed as part of the 100-day programme of the Left front government, he said the project was initiated to speed up the development process. During the two-month annual pilgrimage season in November-December, lakhs of pilgrims arrive at the shrine from various parts of the country and also abroad. In the 2022 season, the Travancore Devaswom Board had stated that nearly 30 lakh pilgrims visited the temple. Vijayan also said funds have been allocated for the highways passing through the coastal and high-range region

Kerala gives nod for land acquisition to build airport near Sabarimala

The order from the Revenue Department states that 2,570 acres of land will be taken between Erumeli South and Manimala