**How Much Gold and Silver Does Sabarimala Temple Hold?**
*By Chanshimla Varah | Sep 19, 2025, 08:21 PM*
**Introduction**
The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in Kerala is one of India’s richest and most revered pilgrimage sites. Situated at an altitude of 4,133 feet in the Pathanamthitta district, the temple attracts millions of devotees annually. Its wealth extends beyond spirituality, encompassing vast material riches, including significant gold and silver reserves alongside substantial annual donations.
**Gold and Silver Reserves**
According to reports from Mathrubhumi, the temple currently holds approximately 227.824 kilograms of gold, which is not utilized for daily rituals or other temple expenses. Additionally, the temple’s silver reserves stand at an estimated 2,994 kilograms.
Every year, devotees offer over 15 kilograms of gold, with monetary donations often surpassing ₹105 crore. In recent times, the temple’s gold assets have been placed under a deposit scheme to earn interest, contributing to its growing wealth.
**Financial Overview**
As of September 2025, the net worth of the Sabarimala temple is estimated at ₹245 crore. During the 2023 pilgrimage season, the temple’s revenues reached a remarkable ₹320 crore.
The Mandala-Makaravilakku season in January 2025 was especially lucrative, generating ₹440 crore alone—an increase of ₹80 crore compared to the previous season. This period also saw a rise in the number of devotees, with over six lakh pilgrims visiting and daily footfalls peaking at around 1.8 lakh on the busiest days.
Besides gold and silver, the temple’s assets include fixed deposits and jewelry of significant cultural and historical importance.
**Legal Investigation Over Missing Gold**
Recently, the temple came under scrutiny following a vigilance probe ordered by the Kerala High Court. The investigation was prompted by a discrepancy of approximately 4.541 kilograms in the gold-plated copper covering of the Dwarapalaka idols at Sabarimala.
The copper plates, which initially weighed 42.8 kilograms before being sent for re-plating in Chennai in August 2019, were found to weigh only 38.258 kilograms upon return. This indicated a loss of over 4.5 kilograms of gold—a discrepancy not reported by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the temple’s managing body.
**Accountability and Transparency**
The Kerala High Court questioned the temple administration about how such a significant quantity of gold could go missing. Emphasizing the importance of maintaining faith and transparency concerning temple properties, the court directed the Devaswom Vigilance to carry out a thorough investigation.
The vigilance team has been ordered to submit a detailed report within three weeks. Additionally, the court mandated an inspection of all other gold-plated items at the temple to ensure no further irregularities exist.
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**Conclusion**
Sabarimala Temple remains one of India’s wealthiest religious institutions, with vast reserves of gold and silver and substantial annual donations. However, recent incidents highlighting discrepancies in gold reserves underline the necessity for enhanced transparency and robust oversight to maintain the trust of millions of devotees who regard the temple with deep reverence.
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