The 3,870-odd temples being governed by the three Devaswom boards in the State may not bequeath their treasure trove of gold ornaments in banks as envisaged by the Centre.
Devaswom sources said the Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar Devaswoms, which have about 3,890 temples under their ambit, had decided against depositing the ornaments for a nominal rate of interest in banks.
For, the ornaments with invaluable antique and intrinsic artistic value would be converted to gold bars and this would deprive future generations of their rich heritage and tradition.
The ornaments, known as ‘thiruvabharanam’, are deemed to be equally sacrosanct like the deities themselves and are taken out mostly during festival seasons to adorn the idols. Hence, using it for other purposes will not be an easy task, the sources said.
TDB stance
Travancore Devaswom Board member Subash Vasu told The Hindu that when the Reserve Bank of India sought an inventory of the gold in temples, the board had resolved not to furnish specific details and also not to use it for other purposes.
“Various community organisations too had opposed the move and, hence, we had resolved not to deposit it in banks,” he said.
The other Devaswoms too are also reported to have adopted a similar stance.
Intricate designs
During the Indo-Chinese aggression in the sixties, the TDB had donated gold ornaments to the government.
But the gold bars returned by the government could not be converted into ornaments for want of skilled artisans who knew the intricate designs, the sources said.
Private trusts
The Malabar Devaswom Board has 2,000 temples, the Travancore Devaswom Board 1,220, and the Cochin Devaswom Board 470 temples. In addition to these are scores of temples being managed by private trusts and individuals.
All of them have substantial gold reserves, mostly as antique ornaments, made for adorning the idols and also to be used for rituals associated with the temples.
