Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 10, 2025

Already under a cloud and a Kerala High Court now ordering a criminal case in the gold plating row at the famed Sabarimala temple, on Friday a fresh controversy surfaced over the ‘yoga danda (ritual staff)’ and ‘rudraksha mala’ that adorned the Ayyappa idol at Sabarimala, with fresh disclosures linking the work to the son of a former senior temple official.

It has now emerged that Jayashankar Padman, son of former Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar, was entrusted with carrying out the gold-plating and repair work of the yoga danda.

Padmakumar said the task was undertaken at the instruction of the temple tantri (chief priest).

“When the tantri asked who would do it, my son volunteered,” he explained, adding that the work was done without taking the s

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