SC to deliver verdict on 9-year long Padmanabha Swamy temple management case tomorrow

After a nine-year authorized battle, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court will ship its verdict over the administration of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, one of many richest shrines on the earth, on Monday.

Devotees are upbeat as they hope uncertainty over the administration of the temple might be over facilitating clean functioning of the shrine. A spokesperson of the royal household additionally expressed confidence {that a} beneficial verdict might be given to protect the age-old shrine.

“Sanctity of the temple is supreme. We hope everything will be settled,” stated Velayudhan Nair, a daily on the temple for 52 years. The Fort Association of Residents, an umbrella organisation comprising devotees across the temple, can be upbeat.

The temple shot to fame after an estimated wealth of Rs one lakh crore was unearthed throughout the SC-ordered stock from one of many subaltern vaults of the sixth century temple in 2011. After this the variety of guests elevated manifold and it became a significant pilgrimage and tourism spot in south India.

The erstwhile royal household of Travancore had moved the apex court docket in 2011 in opposition to the High Court order that handed over the temple administration and belongings to the state authorities. The apex court docket had later stayed the HC verdict and ordered the inventorying of the temple.

When one of many secret vaults was opened in 2011, treasure estimated at Rs one lakh crore was discovered. There are six chambers– later coded A to F– underneath the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Of these, two are often opened throughout the each day pooja and two twice a yr and the remaining two (A&B) are secret vaults.

The second secret chamber “B” is but to be opened and devotees and temple officers declare it might comprise extra wealth than the “A” vault. But the erstwhile royals, former custodians of the temple, opposed it strongly saying “it was against tantric customs and rituals and may bring trouble to the city which originated from the name of the presiding deity” (Thiru Ananatha Puram– the land of Sree Padmanabha, Lord Vishnu).

During the listening to each the state authorities and the royal household had stated that they had no declare over the wealth present in one of many vaults because it belonged to the deity and the temple. The sixth century Vishnu temple was believed to be rebuilt by then King Marthanda Varma who defeated Dutch colonizers within the Battle of Colachal in 1741. The legend goes that after he received the conflict he devoted his victory to the presiding deity and dominated the dominion as ‘Padmanabha dasan’ (servant of Lord Padmanabha).

A retired IPS officer T P Sundararajan, a staunch devotee, was the primary to maneuver the court docket in 2008, alleging large-scale pilferage on the temple. He claimed that many valuable ornaments and jewels had been smuggled out changing them with lookalikes. Later the case was moved to High Court which handed over the administration to the state authorities. While staying the HC order in 2011, the Supreme Court had ordered inventorying and later divested the royal household from managing temple affairs and fashioned an apex physique to run the temple until the ultimate verdict. In 2012, Sundararajan died whereas inventorying was half-way by means of.

As the authorized battle extended there have been solutions to protect the wealth of the temple, now manned by a battalion of commandos. During the sooner NDA regime, Minister of State for Tourism Ok J Alphons mooted a high-security museum to maintain the treasure.

He had referred to as on the royal household with an thought to construct a Rs 300 crore underground museum close to the temple. He assured the Centre will bear all bills for the world-class museum and convert it into a significant attraction of the nation however the royals weren’t moved. With the ultimate settlement not far away, many really feel there might be a choice on the wealth as properly, mendacity in underground vaults.