Kochi: Gold chain of deity found after 30 years

A 16-sovereign gold chain, part of the Thiruvabharanam of Janardhana swamy, which was lost 30 years ago, was found on Sunday. The chain was found on the northern side of the basement of the temple, which was being demolished for renovation..
A 16-SOVEREIGN gold chain lost around 30 years ago was found at the Janardhana Swamy Temple at Amaravathi in Kochi on Sunday (September 14). The gold chain was part of the ‘Thiruvabharanam’ of Janardhana Swamy, the presiding deity of the temple.
The chain was found by 22-year-old Harish Rao, a youth wing member of the Vaishya Vani community, on Sunday afternoon, which is managing the temple. The chain was found in a hole on the northern side of the basement of the sanctum sanctorum, which was being demolished as part of the renovation work, which is in progress now. The chain has been entrusted with the temple managing committee.
“In the afternoon, I came to the temple with my friend Rahul around 1.00 pm for Anandavrutham, a special ritual of offering the deity with vegetables and fruit that was cultivated on the house premises of devotees. (After the three-day pooja, these items will be auctioned). When I went to the northern door of the sanctum sanctorum, I found a small gap on the basement. When I examined the gap with my hand I felt the presence of an object inside it. Then, my friend brought an iron rod and removed a stone. The object which I touched was found to be a gold chain! I immediately alerted the temple authorities and they said that this chain was considered lost 30 years ago. Till then, I was not aware of the missing of this gold chain,” Rao, a staff in BSNL, Ernakulam narrated the events leading to the finding of the chain with an excitement.
The temple authorities had filed a case with the Fort Kochi police station in 1978 in connection with the missing of that particular gold chain. At that time, police personnel questioned the then priest and several temple employees as part of the investigation. Later, the case faded into history as the police failed to make any breakthrough.
“The then priest left the temple and the area forever following the ignominy as he was held responsible for the loss of the chain,” said KS Natarajan, convener, temple renovation committee, who has an association with the temple for the last four decades.
The devotees are elated by the miraculous finding of the lost ‘Thiruvabharanam’ of the deity. Their reaction was beyond words as everyone echoed, “It’s Janardhana Swamy’s grace. We are delighted with the news as the ornament was a special one to the lord.”
The renovation work started on July 12 this year following an Ashtamangala Prasna conducted in 2007, which was led by noted astrologer Cherode Narayana Panicker.