Kerala: Why Padmanabha temple's hidden vaults were opened?

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 3: Suddenly all eyes came on Kerala where the massive treasure haul at the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple caught all limelight. On Sunday, Jul 3, the total worth of the treasure is estimated to have crossed Rs 90,000 crore ($20 billion) with the antique value of the treasure yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, security at Padmanabhaswamy temple has been beefed up. It seems that one of the ancient temples in Asia has suddenly turned into a fortress. "We are posting two battalions of the special armed police force to provide security outside the temple. We will have a meeting with all the stakeholders before putting a permanent security system in place," police commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram said on Sunday.

After the sixth continuous day of assessing the contents of the hidden vaults, officials and administration are flabbergasted due to the sheer nature of the contents that have emerged out of the stone chambers. Among the recent findings include a huge idol of Lord Vishnu that is studded in diamonds and precious emeralds. The trove also yielded various adornments of the deity that was worth Rs 13 crore. Two other secret chambers are yet to be opened.

The recent findings of the idol of Vishnu is a whopping one and a half feet made of pure gold. The chamber A also contained figurines weighing a kilo each and a 35 kilo, 18 foot gold jewellery used to decorate the deity. Bags of precious jewels and gold chips were also found inside.

Here it can be reminded that the Padmanabha temple is a major landmark in Kerala and was built by the King of Travancore dynasty, Marthanda Verma, in 18th century. Thiruvananthapuram [Thiru Anantha Puram] got its name from the deity of this temple which is Anantha Padmanabhan.

A devotee, claiming that the royal family had failed to provide enough safety to the precious and invaluable temple assets including rare jewels, moved the Kerala High Court. The High Court asked the state government to take the control of the temple from the temple trust controlled by the palace.

The Supreme Court had stayed the High Court's order and appointed a panel to make an inventory of articles in the temple in the presence of observers.

However, many questions are still remained unanswered. Why suddenly the vaults, which were shut for centuries, were ordered to be opened? Fueling another controversy, a rumour is brewing in the air - opening of the vaults through a PIL was the instigation of the present King Marthada Varma and the current person at the helm of affairs of temple is a prodigy of the King. Citing such rumours, many started questing - is there any hand and glove act in it?

Please share your valuable views and thoughts with OneIndia. What do you think - where the treasure trove should be used? Who should get the possession of all jewelleries, gold - government or the royal family?

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