Missing golden pedestal of Sabarimala guardian idol recovered after High Court intervention

Missing golden pedestal of Sabarimala guardian idol recovered after High Court intervention

Mangalore Today News Network

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 29, 2025: The long-missing golden pedestal of the guardian idol at Sabarimala temple has finally been traced. The discovery comes shortly after the Kerala High Court issued a stern warning while intervening in the case.

A team led by TDB Vigilance and Police Superintendent Sunil Kumar V. found the pedestal on Saturday at the residence of relatives of Unnikrishnan Potti from Vanchermoodu, who had originally donated it to the temple.

The High Court had recently ordered an investigation after noticing a reduction in the weight of the gold-plated copper pedestal of the guardian idol. Following this, the pedestal went missing.

Potti had earlier claimed that in 2019, when the guardian idol’s plaque was taken for re-plating, he donated a gold-coated pedestal to the temple. The work was completed in 2020 and handed over to temple officials through devotees. However, it was later reported missing.

Now, the pedestal has been recovered from the house of Potti’s relatives, where a complaint had been filed regarding its disappearance. With this, suspicion has turned towards Potti himself.