Sabarimala (Kerala), Dec. 8 -- A sensational new claim has reignited a decades-old mystery surrounding the alleged disappearance of a priceless golden idol connected to the early worship traditions of the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa hill shrine.
The revelation, emerging from the Malamel family, historically entrusted with the rituals of Kochukadath Swami, has reopened questions about heritage protection, institutional accountability, and the possibility of a wider antiquities-smuggling network operating around Kerala's temple assets in the 1970s.
According to the Malamel family, the golden idol of Kochukadath Swami, a warrior-saint figure woven into the folklore of ancient Sabarimala traditions, remained in their lawful custody for generation...