Kerala temple may be richer than Tirupati
The Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple here is all set to become the richest temple in India with the expert panel deputed by the Supreme Court estimating that 70 per cent of the gold jewellery and diamonds retrieved from the secret cellar-A itself will amount to `50,000 crores.
The temple, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped in the reclining posture, will thus surpass the Tirumala Tirupati temple of Andhra Pradesh whose deity Lord Balaji has gold and diamond jewellery reportedly valued at around `52,000 crores.
After the panel prepares an inventory of the rest of the articles retrieved from cellar-A, and also opens the mysterious cellar-B, the worth of the precious articles in the Padmanabha Swamy temple will touch astronomical heights.
On Friday, a panel led by the two Supreme Court observers, M.N. Krishnan and C.S. Rajan, assisted by a group of officials, further examined cellar-A and found gold coins weighing 530 kg.
Sources said the team members retrieved around 17 kg of gold coins belonging to the East India Company era, 14 kg of coins minted in Travancore, more than 100 raasi coins and sacks of coins belonging to the era of Napoleon Bonaparte. Meanwhile, local people thronged the steps of the temple and protested the leakage of information to the media when the panel members came out in the evening, saying it might endanger the temple.
The team will submit a report next week to the Supreme Court, which may give some instruction to the government on what to do with the treasure.
Post new comment