Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 21: A gold crown offered by Jayalalithaa at the Guruvayur temple in Thrissur has become an embarrassment for the Kerala government, with the income-tax department seeking permission to appraise the offering.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister offered the gem-studded crown, weighing 349 grams, a baby elephant and Rs 100,000 for its upkeep as well as Rs 75,651 for other temple ceremonies on July 2, 2001, after returning to power.

She made the offerings on the advice of astrologer Parappanangadi Unnikrishna Panicker in the northern district of Malappuram.

The income tax office in Chennai wants to appraise the worth of the crown while processing the tax returns Jayalalithaa has filed and has sought permission from the Guruvayur Devaswam committee for the verification.

The panel initially gave permission, but retracted in the face of protests by devotees. Even the government summoned the temple administrator, seeking clarifications.

Caught in a bind, the committee today kicked the ball into the government?s court, asking it to decide on the tax officials? demand.

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy has said he is personally against throwing open the offerings at places of worship to any official bodies.

?The issue involves matters of faith. The permission given by the Board to Chennai IT commissioner P.K. Vijayakumar to inspect the crown within the temple premises on January 8 this year has hurt the religious sentiments,? he said.

But if Chandy turns down the tax office request, he would be seen as standing in the way of the law.

The tax authorities have informed the Guruvayur Devaswam they will initiate legal action if prevented from inspecting the crown.

But if Chandy lets the officials examine the crown, he would invite the wrath of Hindu devotees. A Hindu backlash would prove costly for the chief minister.