The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (July 13) recognized the authority of the Travancore royalty in the management of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala. The SC said in its order that the committee headed by Thiruvananthapuram’s District Judge will look into the temple arrangements for the time being.
This system will remain in place until the formation of the main committee and the Travancore royal family will play an important role in the committee. The apex court, however, did not say anything about opening the vault B of the historic temple.
“Great God’s will prevailed. Will say more about it after going through whole verdict, said Princess Gowri Lakshmibai of the erstwhile Travancore royal family soon after the judgement.
The controversy over the administration and management of the historic temple was pending in the apex court for last nine years in the wake of charges of alleged financial irregularities.
The sprawling temple, an architectural splendour in granite, was rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century by the Travancore Royal House which had ruled southern Kerala and some adjoining parts of Tamil Nadu before integration of the princely state with the Indian Union in 1947.
The temple is often in the news over the secret and mysterious vault named B or traditionally known as Nilavaras or Kallara. It so happened that a retired IPS officer Sundarajan filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2011 to take stock of the temple’s unaccounted treasury.
Therefore, the Apex Court appointed a seven-member team to make a record of the said hidden or unknown treasury. After the group began searching for the treasury, they found six chambers and named it A, B, C, D, E and F.
But opening the doors of these chambers proved a daunting task. However, as they continued with the task of seeing what these vaults treasured, they apparently found gold, diamonds, and other precious gems and stones statues and thrones made of precious metals worth Rs 1 lakh crore although the exact amount has never been revealed.
However, vault B or Kallara B remained untouched owing to the belief that the one who would attempt to open it would invite misfortune. This belief strengthened after the untimely demise of the petitioner within a few weeks after the vaults were opened.
Mystery behind the Vault B:
Vault B is believed to be guarded by serpents, a folkloric vampire named Kanjirottu Yakshi and other supernatural divinities. They are believed to be the protectors of the vault and anyone trying to open the doors shall invite trouble, it is said.
Centuries ago, when the temple management attempted to open the Kallara B, they heard sounds of waves. And since it sounded mysterious and scary, they stepped back and withdrew their decision to open it.
Subsequently, sometime in the 1930s, when a gang of robbers tried to loot the temple, they found snakes emerging towards them.
Saints of the ancient times are believed to have sealed the door by chanting the powerful Naga Paasam Mantra, and only a priest with the most accurate knowledge can open the doors by chanting the Garuda Mantra.
So, one can only wonder what lies behind the closed doors of Vault Bbut what can be said that the worth of money and jewel inside the vault is larger that the gdp of India and eyeing its wealth is equal toa sin.
