Rajeevaru’s time at Sabarimala temple marked significant controversy, most notably his 2019 decision to shut the temple for a “purification ritual” after women entered the shrine, and his eventual arrest on Friday for his alleged role in the gold theft conspiracy.
Sabarimala’s chief priest (Tantri), Kandararu Rajeevaru, has been arrested in the high-profile Sabarimala gold theft case. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) recorded the arrest after summon for questioning on Friday.
Rajeevaru is the 11th person arrested in the case, which has already seen the detention of several former Travancore Devaswom Board officials, contractors, and middlemen. According to SIT, he opened the door for Unnikrishnan Potty, the main accused in the case. Earlier, SIT took into custody A. Padmakumar, former Sabarimala Executive Committee President and CPM Pathanamthitta District Committee member, in the case. Kerala Police have registered a case against KM Shajahan, former additional private secretary to the late former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and now a YouTuber, for allegedly insulting ADGP S Sreejith and claiming the police’s role in the Sabarimala gold theft case. S. Jayasree, former TDB secretary, was questioned while, Govardhan Roddam & Pankaj Bhandari, the business owners involved in the processing of the gold artefacts; both are currently in judicial custody.
Who is Kandararu Rajeevaru?
He is the Tantri (chief priest) of the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, and a member of the Thazhamon Madom, an ancient family of tantris (head priests) with hereditary rights at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple.
Being the son of the late Kandararu Krishnararu, he followed family tradition as he entered into the tantric world, likely beginning after his upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) at approximately age five. As per traditions, family members typically observe three years of brahmacharyam, followed by samavarthana kaalam, during which they are taught Vedas, mantras, and complex rituals. He reportedly began as a junior tantri at Sabarimala temple performing independent poojas at age 18 after a period of penance and a formal pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
Since the Thazhamon family is divided into two main branches, Rajeevaru represents one branch, while the other was long headed by his uncle, the late Kandararu Maheswararu. These branches alternate the role of Chief Priest at Sabarimala annually. On the personal front, he is married to his wife, Bindu and has a son named Kandararu Brahmadathan, who recently transitioned into the role of full-time tantri at Sabarimala.
Rajeevaru’s career at the Sabarimala temple
His time at Sabarimala temple stirred significant controversy, most notably his 2019 decision to shut the temple for a “purification ritual” after women entered the shrine, and his eventual arrest on January 9, 2026, for his alleged role in the gold theft conspiracy.
He is allegedly linked to the alleged misappropriation of gold-plated religious artefacts. The SIT found that he had a “decades-old relationship” with the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, and reportedly recommended the replating of gold panels on the temple’s sanctum sanctorum doorframes and the Dwarapalaka (guardian) idols. He allegedly issued a note stating that gold-plated panels could be removed for repair as copper had begun to show.
Sabarimala gold theft case
The Sabarimala gold controversy involves allegations of irregularities regarding the gold plating work at the Sabarimala temple. This situation arose from a donation of 30.3 kilograms of gold and 1,900 kilograms of copper by industrialist Vijay Mallya in 1998, intended for the cladding of the sanctum sanctorum and the wooden carvings of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala.
(With reports from agencies)
