Discovery of blank pages in volumes; Sanskrit University caught in controversy over ‘dummy book’ release involving Governor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit has landed in a major controversy after preparing "dummy books"—empty pages bound with a printed cover—for a high-profile release ceremony involving the Governor.

The incident occurred last Sunday at the Panmana Ashram during the Maha Samadhi anniversary of Chattampi Swami. The book in question, Sri Tirthapada Puranam, is a Sanskrit epic biography of Chattampi Swami authored by the late Prof. A.V. Sankaran. The ceremony was abruptly cancelled after the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Ciza Thomas, discovered the fraud just in time.

The 11-volume set, priced at 6,600, was delivered to the VC’s office in a sealed carton shortly before the event. Upon inspecting the package, the VC was shocked to find that while four volumes were genuine, the remaining volumes consisted of nothing but blank white paper.

Realising the potential for massive public embarrassment, Prof. Ciza Thomas immediately intervened to stop the ceremony. It appears that certain high-ranking university officials had orchestrated the event without the VC's direct oversight. Following the discovery, the VC expressed her sincere regret to the Governor for the university’s lapse and provided a firm assurance that the complete biography would be properly published and released by August.

Background of the manuscript

The history of this publication spans over four decades. Prof. A.V. Sankaran began writing the biography in Sanskrit back in 1980 and submitted the manuscript to the Sanskrit University for publication in 1998. After the author’s family raised concerns regarding the decades-long delay, the university's publication department was finally tasked with bringing the work to print.

Demand for investigation

The botched event caused significant distress to Prof. Sankaran’s family and the many followers who had gathered at the Panmana Ashram specifically to purchase the set. The Save University Campaign Committee has now submitted a formal petition to both the Governor and the VC, demanding a high-level probe into the attempt to deceive the public and defame the institution through this "fake book" launch.