T P Nijish, TNN | Nov 2, 2012, 05.21AM IST

MALAPPURAM: “The Bhagavathi doesn’t need gold ornaments; they would be useful for people like me. God exists in our minds, not in the sreekovil of a temple and deities do not want ornaments as they do not have a physical existence.”A burglar can’t be more philosophical.The police team investigating a burglary at Payyangattil Bhadrakali Temple near Edappal on October 8 is baffled by a letter purportedly written by the person who stole the gold ornaments of the deity after locking the priestinside the temple.Though they are yet to confirm the authenticity of the letter, police suspect that it was written by someone who is familiar with the temple. Priest Surendran had also claimed that the robber was a daily visitor to the temple for a week prior to the heist with a kid of around 12 years’ old.

A postcard addressed to the priest from one Ramabhadran Adiyodi says the temple committee had lied about the actual worth of the ornaments. “The ornaments do not add up to three sovereigns as claimed by the temple committee and police. It is less than 2.5 sovereigns,” the letter says.

The letter also has some words of advice to the priest. “There is no need to open the doors of the sreekovil when lighting the lamp at the sub-temple of Karimkutty deity. You (Pujari) better stop doing puja and start tapioca cultivation to lead a good life with your wife,” it says. The author of the letter claims that he had come to loot the temple with his grandson. He also wants everything in proper order when he comes back to the temple on November 26.

The case, registered by Changaramkulam police on basis of a complaint from the priest, says ornaments worth Rs 49,500 were stolen from the idol in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple around 5.30 am.

The police team visited Tirur post office on Thursday and collected details about the postcard.