» 07/04/2011 12:59 INDIA Kerala: treasure worth billions found in vaults of temple dedicated to Vishnu The Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the richest and most famous places of worship in the Indian Union. It guards and protects the eternal sleep of Vishnu. However, a legal battle has started over the contents of its underground chambers, which include gold coins and diamonds worth an estimated US$ 11 billion.
New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A 5.5-metre-long necklace, 536 kg of 18th century gold coins, diamond-studded plates, rubies and emeralds are but part of a treasure found in the vaults of a temple in the southern Indian State of Kerala. A court-appointed panel is currently conducting an inventory of the treasure, estimated at US$ 11.3 billion, before a decision is made about its disposition. A legal battle might stop it though.
The discovery was done in two of six underground chambers in the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state.
They were opened following an order by the state high court, which accepted a petition filed by a local lawyer who said the temple should be taken over since the trust running it did not have the capacity to ensure adequate security for its assets.
Built in the 16th century, the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is under the control and the management of the descendants of the royal family of Travancore.
However, Sundar Rajan filed a petition with the Kerala High Court to take away the temple from the descendants of the last maharajah, claiming they could not adequately provide security for the temple’s assets. The court responded by issuing an order to inventory the temple’s assets, which brought to light the treasure.
However, some experts have questioned the quick estimates, saying it would take several weeks to make an assessment. "Antique value cannot be fixed overnight," Professor P.J. Cherian, director of the Kerala Council for Historical Research, said.
The current Maharajah of Travancore, Uthradan Thirunaal Marthanda Varma, who is also the managing trustee of the temple, appealed to the Supreme Court against Sundar Rajan's petition.
He said that as maharajah he had every right to control the temple because of a special law enacted after independence, which vested the management of the temple with the erstwhile ruler of Travancore.
However, his appeal was rejected because maharajahs have no special status in India and are treated like ordinary citizens.
The Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is devoted to one of the many representations of Vishnu, that of the god in eternal sleep.
The Travancore royal family are considered the protectors and the custodians of the sleeping deity, which guarantees the survival of the planet. This is why it is one of the richest sites of the Hindu religion.
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