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- Mar 31, 2009
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| Royal family fears opening vault ‘B' would invite deity's wrath; govt says foolproof security in place |
| SC concerned over Kerala temple security |
| New Delhi, Jul 14, DHNS & Agencies: |
| The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the state government to ensure proper security of the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple wh*ere huge wealth estimated to be over Rs one lakh crore has been discovered. |
| The scion of the erstwhile Travancore royal family also raised concern over opening vault B, which reportedly has an insignia of a serpent. A bench of Justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik noted that the massive wealth unearthed there was perhaps at a risk in view of the widespread publicity given in the media. There have been different versions of the estimated value of the temple's treasure with a few reports claiming the wealth to be of worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The Kerala government informed the court that it has allocated Rs one crore in the budget for the temple's security. "The government considers that ensuring adequate security to the temple is primarily the responsibility of the state. An Additional DGP has been put in place as incharge of the security while a control room has also been opened," it said. It also informed the court that police personnel have been deployed, keeping in mind the dress code of the temple with commandos being posted at the gates to guard it. This apart, it has plans to acquire high-end security equipments to make it highly effective. Temple's wealth In a written statement, the government asserted that the wealth being unearthed from the temple belonged to Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple only. "Taking them (wealth) out and locating them elsewhere in safer places are neither advisable nor desirable. The government considers the objects should remain as in the vaults of the temple," it said. The state government has also suggested that the valuables unearthed from the temple chambers can be classified and kept separately as per their heritage and artistic value. In an affidavit, Adithya Varma, a member of Travancore royal family submitted that the cellars of the temple neither can be separated, and removed from the sanctum-sanctorum, nor can it be exhibited at a different place since the wealth belonged to deity only. The affidavit also expressed apprehension that the opening of the last cellar namely ‘B' was not "advisable" at all because the sign of ‘serpent' visible at the entrance indicated that it was not auspicious to open it. Alternatively, it said an appeasement ceremony be held before opening the vault to mollify the deity. "However, a decision on this may be taken after conducting the traditional "deva prashnam' so as not to incur the displeasure of Lord Padmanabha by opening it. That is necessary because it is the belief of the devotees that op*ening of this vault can invite the wrath of the Lord," senior counsel K K Venugopal, appearing for the petitioner, said. The affidavit also sought reconsideration of the Kerala High Court's order directing for moving of the wealth of the temple for public exhibition. During the hearing, the court asked the Centre to provide expert opinion in the light of discovery of valuable articles. The court posted the matter for next Friday. The court had earlier passed a slew of directions, including videography and appointment of a curator, to assess the treasure trove. It had on May 2 stayed the high court order for taking over of the management and assets of the 16 th century temple. |
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