THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A recent visit to Sabarimala by Prasanth IAS has sparked a critical public discourse, highlighting the disturbing state of affairs at the revered Ayyappa temple complex—a sacred space grappling with both high-level corruption and chronic mismanagement.
Sharing his observations on Facebook, Prasanth IAS noted that the “stench of corruption” now far outweighs the foul smell from unhygienic facilities along the forest path, where a lack of restrooms is dangerously evident.
Golden Theft and Archaeological Diversion
The most shocking revelation centers on the “Golden Scandal” involving irregularities in the gold plating of the temple’s idol and gatekeeper sculptures. The High Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has made several arrests, including the main sponsor. The case has raised fears that high-value gold smuggling operations are now morphing into organized archaeological artifact smuggling.
”As seen in famous cases like the Subhash Kapoor network, the smuggling of Indian antiquities is more sinister than gold smuggling,” Prasanth noted. The modus operandi involves replacing original temple artifacts with replicas, which are then trafficked to international markets and private foreign collections.
The investigation is progressing under two separate FIRs. In one case, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) itself has been named as the eighth accused. The severity of the alleged malfeasance has led to the suspension of numerous officials, including two TDB Presidents, one Commissioner, and a Thiruvabharanam Commissioner, indicating that the corruption has reached the highest echelons of temple governance.
The Governance and Management Crisis
Sabarimala is not a typical pilgrimage site; it’s a unique phenomenon attracting nearly 53.1 lakh pilgrims and generating ₹440 crores in direct revenue over just a few months (Mid-November to Mid-January). These pilgrims constitute almost a quarter of the total domestic tourists claimed by Kerala, underscoring the temple’s crucial economic importance.
However, the governance structure is woefully inadequate. Sabarimala is just one of 1258 temples under the TDB, headed by politically appointed members with no formal qualifications in spirituality, temple rituals, finance, audit, or professional crowd management. The current system, likened by the High Court to an “amateur festival committee,” relies heavily on deploying 13,000 police personnel, using rudimentary techniques like rope-barricading on steep slopes—a practice warned as extremely hazardous.
”If the mission of Sabarimala is beyond the State’s current capacity, the Constitution provides a remedy. Article 3 allows Parliament to form a new administrative unit after consulting with the state legislature,” the post suggests.
The Need for Professional Crowd Management
In contrast to global pilgrimage centers like the Kumbh Mela (24 crore pilgrims) or Mata Vaishno Devi Temple (80 lakh to 1 crore annually), which employ Integrated Command and Control Centers, AI-based CCTV analytics, GIS mapping, RFID/QR-based passes, and timed-slot entry, Sabarimala is stuck in the past.
The solution proposed is the creation of SABARI (Sabarimala Amenities & Biodiversity Area Regional Authority)—a full-time, professional authority headed by a senior IAS Chief Executive, with guaranteed tenure. This entity would manage all aspects, from finance (shifting to concurrent audit and FMIS) to sophisticated crowd modeling and management.
The expert post calls for a unified crowd control system treating Nilakkal-Pamba-Sannidhanam as a single engineered corridor, implementing one-way routes, and setting clear occupancy thresholds for all zones.
If the state finds it impossible to implement these reforms, the post controversially suggests the constitutional option of declaring the core area a Centralized Union Territory under Article 3. This would expedite approvals (especially forest/environment), draw more funds, and enable the deployment of military/paramilitary forces for superior management, ensuring the safety and spiritual experience of millions of Ayyappa devotees.
