UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — HC tells TDB to aid appraisal of Sabarimala valuables

Q1. The Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala temple, functions under the administrative oversight of which one of the following?

  • A. The Devaswom Department of the Government of Kerala
  • B. The Union Ministry of Culture
  • C. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs
  • D. The Kerala Revenue Department

Q2. The Travancore Devaswom Board was constituted under which one of the following statutes?

  • A. The Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950
  • B. The Madras Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1951
  • C. The Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Act, 1965
  • D. The Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978

Q3. The Thanka Anki (golden attire) procession for Lord Ayyappa traditionally commences from which one of the following temples during the Sabarimala season?

  • A. Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple
  • B. Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple
  • C. Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple
  • D. Vaikom Mahadeva Temple

Q4. The principal 'Mandala Kaalam' pilgrimage penance at Sabarimala is observed over how many days?

  • A. 21 days
  • B. 41 days
  • C. 51 days
  • D. 60 days

Q5. With reference to the Kerala High Court's directions regarding the appraisal of Sabarimala valuables, consider the following statements: 1. The September 2025 order appointed retired Justice K.T. Sankaran to oversee a thorough appraisal and permitted engaging an independent jewel appraiser. 2. The subsequent order directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to assist Justice Sankaran in appraising votive gold offerings kept in the Aranmula strong room. 3. The Court sought the maintenance of a comprehensive digitised inventory of the temple's valuables. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The September 2025 order appointed retired Justice K.T. Sankaran to oversee a thorough appraisal and permitted engaging an independent jewel appraiser.
  2. The subsequent order directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to assist Justice Sankaran in appraising votive gold offerings kept in the Aranmula strong room.
  3. The Court sought the maintenance of a comprehensive digitised inventory of the temple's valuables.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. In the context of the Kerala High Court's directions on the Aranmula strong room, the term 'Kaniponnu' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. Votive gold offerings made to the deity by devotees
  • B. The sacred ornaments carried in the Thiruvabharanam procession
  • C. The gold plating stripped from the Dwarapalaka idols
  • D. The temple's official register of ornaments and valuables

Q7. In the Sabarimala gold case investigated by the court-monitored Special Investigation Team, who has been named as the first (prime) accused?

  • A. Unnikrishnan Potti
  • B. Justice K.T. Sankaran
  • C. ADGP H. Venkatesh
  • D. Kandararu Rajeevaru

Q8. The probe into the alleged disappearance of gold from the Sabarimala Dwarapalaka idols is being carried out by which one of the following?

  • A. A court-monitored Special Investigation Team headed by ADGP H. Venkatesh
  • B. The Central Bureau of Investigation
  • C. The Enforcement Directorate
  • D. The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau

Q9. Custody of the Thiruvabharanam (sacred ornaments) of Lord Ayyappa and their annual procession to Sabarimala traditionally rests with which one of the following?

  • A. The Pandalam Royal Family
  • B. The Travancore Devaswom Board
  • C. The Thazhamon Madom Tantri family
  • D. The Cochin Devaswom Board

Q10. Among the three sacred caskets taken in the Thiruvabharanam procession to Sabarimala, which one carries the sacred ornaments of the deity?

  • A. Thiruvabharana Petti
  • B. Velli Petti
  • C. Kodi Petti
  • D. Pallak Petti

Q11. With reference to the statutory/governmental management of major Hindu temples in India, consider the following: 1. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board. 2. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is governed under the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987. 3. The Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri is managed by a statutory Managing Committee under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. 4. Sabarimala Temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
  2. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams is governed under the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987.
  3. The Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri is managed by a statutory Managing Committee under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.
  4. Sabarimala Temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. In the context of temple administration in India, the term 'Devaswom' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An endowment or fund dedicated to a Hindu temple, together with the property so managed
  • B. The hereditary chief priest who performs the principal temple rituals
  • C. The annual ceremonial procession of a temple deity
  • D. The innermost sanctum sanctorum housing the presiding idol