Probe to trace missing gold in temple

Nine gold plated beads of a rudraksha rosary was found missing during a stock verification led by the newly appointed head priest last month, says officials.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has launched a probe to locate the missing portions of a gold jewel, which forms part of the Thiruvabharanam ( sacred jewellery) of the presiding deity at the historic Ettumanur Mahadeva temple in Kottayam. Officials said as many as nine gold plated beads of a rudraksha rosary, which contained a total of 81 beads and 21 grams of gold, were found missing during a stock verification led by the newly appointed head priest last month. The verification, carried out in the presence of the TDB officials including an assistant commissioner, is also reported to have bought to light the presence of a new gold chain among the jewellery. Based on the finding, the TDB vigilance held a preliminary verification at the temple, followed by a probe announced by the Thiruvabharanam Commissioner.