Rs 90,000 cr and counting... Kerala temple pips Tirupati

The unearthing of a tresure trove including gold jewellery, crowns, jewels, diamonds and other precious articles worth billions of dollars from the secret cellars of the famed Sri Padmanabha Swami temple in Thiruvananthapuram has raised serious questions about the treasure’s ownership rights and its future security.

As per estimates based on the material value alone of the articles found from four of the six secret cellars in the historic temple that dates back to early 18th Century, the treasure might be worth more than Rs 90,000 crore, almost three times the annual budget size of the State. Experts are yet to find out the antique value of the rare articles found from the secret cellars.

With the finding of the amazing treasures during the preparation of inventory by a Supreme Court-appointed expert panel, the Sri Padmanabha Swamy Temple has become the richest Hindu temple in the country. With treasures reportedly worth Rs 42,000 crore, the Sri Balaji temple at Tirupati was until now known as the richest Hindu temple.

Among the priceless articles found in the cellars of the Thiruvananthapuram temple were a gold sheaf weighing 500 kilos, an 18-foot gold chain weighing 10.5 kilos, a 36-kilo golden veil, quintals of gold granules and nuggets, crowns, numerous jewels and diamonds including those from Antwerp and rare coins from many countries including France.

The findings during the preparation of inventory also included a huge idol of Lord Vishnu studded with priceless stones, human forms sculpted in gold, gold bars and straps and several gold rings. The sprawling temple complex’s secret cellars, some of them remaining shut for centuries, were being examined under tight security and safety measures.

The shrine, located right in the heart of the State’s capital, is run by a trust floated by the Travancore royal house, to which Lord Padmanabha is the family deity. In the olden days, the temple and its associated property were being controlled by the Ettuveettil Pillamar, aristocrats from eight prominent families till King Marthanda Varma dedicated the kingdom to the deity.

With the revelation that the temple cellars are holding unimaginably huge treasures, controversies have been sparked off over who the real owners of this wealth are. Believers argue that the wealth belongs to the temple and should continue to be kept in the temple itself under foolproof security.

However, some historians say that the treasure was actually public property hidden away by the erstwhile kings. Atheists and rationalists argue that the treasure could have been “black wealth” amassed by the kings and hidden in the temple for reasons of the peculiar security situation of those times.

However, Uthradam Thirunnal Marthanda Varma, the present heir of the royalty, said he did not want to say anything about the treasure, described as the wealth of Lord Padmanabha. “I must not say anything about it. I am just seeing what is happening,” he said.

At the same time, the revelation of the huge treasure has become a big headache for the Government because of security reasons. Even top officials in the State police are skeptical about the force’s ability to provide foolproof security to such huge wealth - which has now become a world attraction - kept at one place.

Security experts say that the Kerala Police do not have the means and expertise to provide security to such huge wealth. “You need laser-protected safes, digital surveillance and other such modern systems and programmes for providing security to things like this. This is no job for an ordinary State police force,” said a retired official of the Intelligence Bureau.