Temple treasure evaluation as per schedule: Experts’ panel

The five-member expert panel appointed by the Supreme Court to document and evaluate the treasures found at the Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram and the three-member supervisory panel held a joint meeting on Friday to review the action plan prepared for the exercise.

After the meeting, National Museum Institute vice-chancellor CV Ananda Bose, chairman of the expert committee, said that the evaluation process would be carried out in accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Court. The panels’ meeting decided not to divulge the decisions as there was a directive in this regard from the court.

The panels expressed satisfaction in the security arrangements the Kerala Police had made for the temple in the context of the finding of an amazing collection of gold, precious stones, rare coins and other articles in the temple’s secret cellars, the material value of which had been put at over Rs 100,000 crore.

This was the first joint meeting of the panels after the Deva Prasnam (astrological examination) held at the temple that showed signs that the deity was against the opening of Vault B, the hitherto unopened second chamber of the six in the temple, and documentation, evaluation and videography of the valuables found.

“The joint meeting reviewed the preparations for the Supreme Court-directed evaluation,” Ananda Bose said after the meeting. “Some decisions had been reached at on the procedures to be followed for the process. The exercise would go ahead as per the schedule drawn up,” Ananda Bose said.

The Supreme Court is to take up the case relating to the Sri Padmanabha Swamy shrine again on September 2 and the panels are unlikely to meet before that now. Before the meeting started on Friday, Ananda Bose accepted memoranda submitted by Hindu organizations which opposed opening of Vault B and evaluation of the temple treasures.

The four-day Deva Prasnam, held to know of the will of the deity on the move for evaluation, had suggested that those who opened Vault B and their families would invite the wrath of the Lord. It also spoke against the documentation, evaluation, photography and ideography of the valuables found in the temple.

The erstwhile Travancore royal family, traditional trustees of the temple and guardians of its assets, had insisted on conducting a Deva Prasnam before opening Vault B. The ex-royal family had also submitted the details of the findings of the Deva Prasnam to the Supreme Court, which are expected to be taken up when the court considers the case on September 2.

Meanwhile, magician Samraj has offered to reveal the invaluable contents of Vault B at the temple complex without opening it if the apex court allows him. The illusionist says that he is confident of disclosing the contents of the vault without seeing or touching it.

If permission is given, he is ready to hand over the details of the vault’s contents in a sealed cover to Ananda Bose in the presence of the members of the royal family and elected representatives of the area, the magician says.

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