TDB probe finds Melsanthi responsible for missing Thiruvabharanam at Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple

In a significant development, an independent probe by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has found the previous Melsanthi (head priest) of the Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, Kottayam, responsible for th

In a significant development, an independent probe by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has found the previous Melsanthi (head priest) of the Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple, Kottayam, responsible for the pilferage of gold from the Thiruvabharanam (sacred jewellery) of the presiding deity. The probe, carried out by TDB Vigilance Officer P.V. Joy, found the jewellery, a gold-plated rudraksha rosary with 81 beads and 21 grams of gold, had been replaced with a new one with just 72 beads. The person, who had served as the temple’s head priest during the three-year term that ended in June this year, is the sole accused in the case. “The Vigilance report along with details of the Melsanthi will be handed over to the local police for initiating criminal action,” confirmed a senior TDB official. The report, according to him, was prepared by collecting statements of the head priests and other officers who had served at the temple since 2006.