FILE PHOTO: A view of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala, February 20, 2012. REUTERS / Danish Siddiqui / File Photo
NEW DELHI / THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (Reuters) – The Supreme Court of India confirmed on Monday the right of a former royal dynasty to manage the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the richest places of worship in the world, after the state government attempted to take over charge when the family patriarch died.
When one of the vaults of the towering 100-year-old Hindu temple in Thiruvananthanpuram in Kerala state was opened in 2011, the sack was found to contain diamonds along with tons of gold coins and jewelry, a treasure estimated at more than $ 20 billion.
The Kerala High Court had ruled that year, following requests in the public interest, that the Travancore family should relinquish custody of the temple after the death of their head, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last Maharaja ruler of Travancore, in 1991.
But on Monday, the Supreme Court reversed that decision.
“We allow for the appeal of the Travancore royal family. Death does not affect the Shebaitship (management and maintenance of the deity) of the Travancore Family, ”said Judges UU Lalit and Indu Malhotra in their order.
Several Hindu temples in India have a wealth of billions of dollars, as devotees donate gold and other precious objects as gifts to spiritual or religious institutions that run hospitals, schools, and universities.
The Supreme Court said a new committee that the royal family will establish to administer the temple, some seven stories high and packed with ornate sculptures, will have the right to decide what to do with the temple’s wealth, including the contents of yet another ancient vault. it has not been opened. ” A large number of devotees had prayed for us. The trial is her victory, “Gauri Lakshmi Bai, a family member, told reporters in Thiruvananthanpuram.
Written by Nidhi Verma; Sanjeev Miglani and Kevin Liffey edition
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