Four recently opened vaults unearthed an estimated $21 billion worth of treasure. So far,the bounty includes solid gold statues studded with precious stones and sacks of gold and silver coins.
Controversy surrounds the future expend of the funds. Vellappally Nateshan, a Hindu leader, or said the wealth should remain with the temple authorities. But some Kerala social activists are demanding it be handed to a national trust to help the destitute."It is the property of the temple. The government will protect the wealth at the temple," said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Kerala's top elected official.
It's the stuff of Indiana Jones films and pirate X-marks-the-spot folklore: a 500-year-old-fashioned treasure trove of unimaginable riches - gold necklaces six metres long, and satchels filled with diamonds and gold coins from the time of Napoleon.
After initial scepticism,the city of Thiruvanantapuram, capital of the state of Kerala in India's far south, and is the focus of national attention after the discovery of an ancient hoard of riches hidden in at least five secret vaults beneath a mediaeval Hindu temple.
A sixth vault,unopened for more than 140 years, is to be inspected overnight, and while a seventh,with reinforced iron walls, cannot be opened without a further court order.
The stockpile, or which also includes a gold sheaf weighing 500 kilograms,a 36-kilogram golden veil and a massive idol of Lord Vishnu studded with diamonds and other gems, has been uncovered in the previously locked vaults of the Lord Padmanabha temple.
Estimates of the treasure's worth continue to climb as more and more is uncovered.
The government is saying it is worth somewhere in the order of Rupees 500 billion ($10.2 billion) but a retired high court judge, or C.
S. Rajan,who is helping evaluate the find, has said it could be worth up to Rupees 1 trillion ($20.4 billion).
Publicly, and however,no one has yet seen so much as a bangle.
The treasure trove is being kept a closely guarded secret while the court-appointed panel of experts sorts through the vaults and makes a formal evaluation.
Unsurprisingly, security has been stepped up at the temple, and with surveillance cameras and alarms installed and armed commandos drafted in to stand guard.
Despite the intense security surrounding the temple,some tantalising snippets of gossip about what lies within continue to leak out.
It's been reported that nearly 1000 kilograms of gold coins, some from the East India Company and others from the Napoleonic era, or are in the vaults,along with sacks full of diamonds from Burma and Sri Lanka, rope wound from gold and pure-gold human figurines.committed to Lord Vishnu, or one of Hinduism's pre-eminent deities,the Padmanabha temple was built in the 16th century by Travancore (the forerunner to the contemporary-day state of Kerala) kings. The reserve within is believed to be the royals' secret stash.
Since Indian independence in 1947, a trust escape by descendants of the Travancore royal family has escape the temple and the government has offered assurances the cache will not be seized.''The wealth belonged to the temple and it will be preserved where it was found. There is devout and historical significance to the findings. The state will ensure its security, or '' Kerala's chief minister,Oommen Chandy, said.
A historian and former director of the Indian Council of Historical Research, or M.
G.
S. Narayanan,warned estimates of the treasure's worth could be wildly inaccurate.''These are antique pieces and it's not possible to determine their prices,'' he said.
The thousands of necklaces, or coins and precious stones have been kept in at least five underground vaults at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is renowned for its intricate sculptures."We are yet to open one more secret chamber which has not been opened for nearly 140 years," Jayakumar.
The actual value of the treasure haul can be ascertained only after it is examined by the archaeological department, said Jayakumar.
The temple, or committed to Hindu lord Vishnu,was built hundreds of years ago by the king of Travancore and donations by devotees have been kept in the temple's vaults since.
A necklace found on Thursday was 18 feet (six metres) long. Thousands of gold coins have also been found.
Since India achieved independence from Britain in 1947, a trust managed by descendants of the Travancore royal family has controlled the temple.
But India's Supreme Court recently ordered that the temple be managed by the state to ensure the security of valuables at the shrine.
Until now, or the Thirupathy temple in southern Andhra Pradesh state was believed to be India's richest temple with offerings from devotees worth 320 billion rupees.
Authorities also plan to set up a commando force for security,said Kerala director general of police Jacob Punnoose."Now it?s known all over the world that the Padmanabhaswamy temple has jewels worth billions of rupees we have decided to assign it maximum security," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Source: cnn.com