**How Much Gold and Silver Does Sabarimala Temple Hold?**
*By Chanshimla Varah | Sep 19, 2025, 08:21 PM*
The Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple in Kerala stands as one of India’s richest pilgrimage centers. Situated at an elevation of 4,133 feet in the Pathanamthitta district, this temple draws millions of devotees annually. Beyond its spiritual significance, Sabarimala boasts immense material wealth, particularly in gold and silver, alongside substantial monetary donations.
**Gold and Silver Reserves**
According to recent reports by Mathrubhumi, the temple holds approximately 227.824 kilograms of gold. This gold is preserved carefully and is not utilized for daily rituals or other activities. In addition to gold, the temple’s silver reserves are estimated to be around 2,994 kilograms.
**Financial Overview and Annual Donations**
As of September 2025, Sabarimala’s net worth is estimated at ₹245 crore. During the 2023 pilgrimage season alone, the temple generated revenues of ₹320 crore. Devotees contribute generously, offering over 15 kilograms of gold every year. Monetary donations frequently exceed ₹105 crore annually.
Recently, the temple’s gold has been secured under a deposit scheme that accrues interest, helping to grow these assets responsibly.
**Assets Beyond Precious Metals**
Apart from gold and silver, the temple holds various fixed deposits and jewelry items that possess significant cultural and historical importance.
The Mandala-Makaravilakku season in January 2025 was particularly prosperous, generating revenue of ₹440 crore—an ₹80 crore increase compared to the previous season. This period also saw a rise in footfall, with six lakh pilgrims visiting and peak days witnessing daily crowds of up to 1.8 lakh devotees.
**Legal Investigation into Missing Gold**
Sabarimala Temple recently faced scrutiny following a Kerala High Court directive for a vigilance probe. Authorities discovered a discrepancy of over 4.5 kilograms in the gold plating of the copper covers on the Dwarapalaka idols.
Originally, the copper plates weighed 42.8 kilograms before being sent to Chennai in August 2019 for re-plating. However, upon return, their weight had decreased to 38.258 kilograms, indicating a loss of 4.541 kilograms of gold. Alarmingly, this loss was not reported by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple.
**Court Raises Accountability Concerns**
The Kerala High Court questioned the temple administration about how such a significant loss of precious metal could occur. The court emphasized that faith and transparency concerning temple assets must not be compromised under any circumstances.
It instructed the Devaswom Vigilance team to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a detailed report within three weeks. Additionally, the court ordered an inspection of all other gold-plated items at the temple to ensure accountability and safeguard the temple’s valuable assets.
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Sabarimala Temple continues to be a beacon of faith and devotion, and the recent measures aim to preserve the trust of millions of devotees by ensuring transparency and proper management of its immense wealth.
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