THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Over the weekend, a wave of panic swept through the highly revered Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. As reported by the Economic Times, temple officials made a startling discovery: around 100 grams of gold, which was set aside for gold – plating the door of the sanctum sanctorum, had disappeared from the temple’s strong room.
This incident immediately raised concerns of theft, triggering a rapid response from the police. They launched an investigation and closely examined the temple’s security measures.
On Saturday morning, temple authorities sounded the alarm. They had opened the strong room to get the gold for the next stage of the plating work but found that a gold rod, weighing about 13 sovereigns or 107 grams, was missing. According to Onmanorama Online, the gold had been safely stored after recent work, and officials confirmed that it was last used just two days before. A formal complaint was quickly filed with the Fort police. The police then started reviewing CCTV footage and conducted a thorough inspection of the temple premises.
The news spread rapidly and made headlines, leading to widespread speculation about a possible theft. Both the police and temple staff carried out an extensive search of the temple grounds. They used metal detectors and carefully reviewed security footage to look for any signs of illegal activity.
However, by Sunday evening, the situation took an unexpected turn. As Onmanorama Online reported, police officials announced that the missing gold rod had been found within the temple. According to the Fort police and Deputy Commissioner Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh, the gold had not been stolen. Instead, it had been misplaced during the process of being returned to the strong room. The rod was discovered on the ground, buried in a sand – covered area about 40 metres away from the strong room. This discovery relieved concerns about a security breach.
Speaking to the media, DCP Deshmukh explained, “It was not a case of theft. The gold rod was misplaced while putting it back in the strong room.” Although this incident ended on a reassuring note for both devotees and temple officials, it has led to calls for a review of the temple’s inventory and storage procedures. The aim is to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, which is famous for its great wealth and historical importance, remains under strict security. Authorities have assured the public that they will consider additional measures to better protect the temple’s valuable assets.
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