Currency notes and coins worth lakhs of rupees were found rusted and destroyed along with waste at Sabarimala. Unaccounted offerings and puja materials donated by devotees were dumped in over 200 sacks along with the garbage.
The issue came to light when the temple was opened on April 1 for the Sabarimala Uthram festival and the Medam-Vishu poojas. Reports suggest that the offerings were collected during the Makara Vilakku, Kumbham, and Meenam festival seasons. Even days after the temple was opened, the Travancore Devaswom Board had not made any effort to count or record these offerings.
Following this, Sreekumar G., the General Secretary of the Travancore Devaswom Board Employees’ Union, submitted a formal complaint to the Board President. The complaint demanded action against the special officers responsible for handling the offerings from the Makara Vilakku season till the Medam month.
Even a week after the complaint was filed, the Board has not initiated an investigation. According to protocol, such complaints should be forwarded to the Devaswom Vigilance department, but no such step has been taken. Moreover, the Board has not taken any action to transport the damaged currency notes to the State Bank in Thiruvananthapuram for processing. It is alleged that the Devaswom authorities are attempting to downplay the issue by claiming that the notes were ruined due to water damage.
