Mysore: The suspended high priest Narasaraja Bhat of the 1000-year-old Sri Cheluvanarayanaswamy Temple in Melkote, who has been found guilty of misappropriating temple jewels in an earlier case, is facing fresh charges after a crown, donated to the Sri Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple in 2009 has gone missing.
Pictures taken at the time clearly show Narasaraja Bhat offering pooja to the idol, which is adorned in the jewels, only adding to the mounting evidence that once again, the temples jewels were under his care at the time however, no record of the jewels exist in temple records, nor do the records name a donor.
The jewels — a grand crown, encrusted with precious gems and pearls and rubies, a conch shell, a chakra and a gadha or mace that adorned Sri Cheluvanarayanaswamy have vanished.
Temple executive officer Venugopal has written to Deputy Commissioner B.N. Krishnaiah about the case after receiving a petition from P. Vijaykumar, Mandya president, Vishwa Hindu Dharma Samrakshana Vedike recommended an investigation on August 7.
Vijaykumar, using the 2009 photographs filed an RTI application but came up against a blank wall. Venugopal promptly served notice to assistant priest Narasimha Iyengar, who confessed that the jewels were placed on the idol in 2009, but claimed ignorance over who donated them and who currently had possession of them.