Not a gram of gold in Kanchi temple’s new idols: Idol wing

The officials checked the idols, which weigh 115 kg totally, using the US made positive material identification (PMI) machine. As per the norms, there should have been 5.75 kg of gold (5 per cent of the total weight) in two idols, said DSP Veeramani, armed reserve. 

Idol wing, which registered an FIR on December 10 suspecting large-scale embezzlement of gold, is currently probing into the alleged misappropriation of yellow metal collected as donation from devotees for making new idols for consecration of Somaskandar idol and Amman idol in the temple. 

PMI machine is used for analysis of a metallic alloy to establish composition by reading the quantities by percentage of its constituent elements. 

As the temple officials failed to keep the account of gold collected to add in two panchaloha idols, devotees suspected misappropriation. 

Idol wing headed by IG AG Ponmanickavel had registered an FIR against nine people including temple executive officer Murugesan, Tamil Nadu chief temple sculptor Muthaiah, sculptor Masilamani and temple priest Rajappa. Muthaiah had earlier claimed that Somaskandar idol weighing 50 kg has nearly 75 per cent gold in it. 

The temple authority had decided to redo the panchaloha idol of Somaskandar, comprising Lord Shiva, Paravathi and Murugan, and an Amman idol weighing about 65 kg after getting a nod from Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments department, which allowed that idols can have 5 per cent of gold when being made again.

The temple executive officer had invited gold donation for making idols of Somasknadar and Amman. Later, the officials claimed that no inventory was kept on gold received as donations.