Padmanabhaswamy Temple treasure

Last updated April 10, 2024

The Padmanabhaswamy temple treasure is a collection of valuable objects including gold thrones, crowns, coins, statues and ornaments, diamonds and other precious stones. It was discovered in some of the subterranean vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala, when five of its six (or possibly eight) vaults were opened on 27 June 2011. The vaults were opened on the orders of the Supreme Court of India, which was hearing a private petition seeking transparency in the running of the temple.^[1] The discovery of the treasure attracted widespread national and international media attention as it is considered to be the largest collection of items of gold and precious stones in the recorded history of the world.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] On the possibility of future appropriation of the wealth, for the need of a new management and proper inventorying of the articles in the vaults, a public interest petition was registered with the Supreme court of India. In 2020, the Travancore Royal Family won the rights to manage the temple, as well all its financial aspects. The Supreme Court of India overruled the Kerala High Court's legal jurisprudence based on regional facts and recognition of the nullified princely agreement based on "Ruler of Travancore."

Vaults

The temple management authorities were aware of the existence of at least six vaults. They were situated underground, all around, and to the west of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. For documentation purposes, these vaults have been designated as vaults A, B, C, D, E and F. Subsequently, two additional subterranean vaults have been discovered, and they have been designated as Vault G and Vault H.^[6]^[7]

Vault B has not been opened since at least the 1880s. The Supreme-Court-appointed committee-members, based on the 2014 amicus curiae and audit reports, cited instances of irregularities and mismanagement in the affairs of the temple. They opened the metal-grille door to Vault B and discovered a sturdy wooden door just behind it. They opened this door as well, and encountered a third door made of iron, which was jammed shut. The observers tried to force their way in but failed. So they decided to hire a professional locksmith to open or remove the door gently. Then in mid-July, before the locksmith came, the royal family got an injunction from the Supreme Court against opening vault B. Apparently, this was promulgated after a 4-day private decision-making process, based on astrology (Ashtamangala Devaprasnam) in 2011. Finally in July 2020, the Supreme Court refused to give permission to open the vault, as it was an issue involving religious sentiments.

As of end of 2020, Vaults G and H (both of which are long-forgotten cellars that were found by the amicus curiae in 2014) remain closed, and have been so for centuries.

Four of the vaults, namely those designated as C, D, E, and F, are in the custody of the temple priests. Over recent years, they have been opened at least eight times every year, and some of the contents stored in them are routinely taken out for use on special ceremonial occasions such as temple festivals, and are deposited back after use.

Following the orders of the Supreme Court of India, a court-appointed committee opened the vaults on 30 June 2011 and entered vault A. They unlocked an iron grille and a heavy wooden door, then removed a granite slab from the floor. Beneath, a few steps led to a dark room which stored the treasure. The various items found scattered everywhere seemed to be not arranged systematically. There were baskets, earthen pots, copper pots, all containing valuable objects.

Inventory

The Supreme Court of India had ordered an amicus curiae appointed by it to prepare an inventory of the treasure. Full details of the inventory have not been revealed. However newspaper reports gave an indication of some of the possible contents of the vaults.^[5] About 40 groups of objects were retrieved from Vault E and Vault F. Another 1469 groups of objects found in Vault C and 617 in Vault D. Over 102,000 groups of objects (referred to as articles collectively) were recovered from Vault A alone.

According to news reports some of the items found include:

A 4-foot (1.2 m) high and 3-foot (0.91 m) wide solid pure-golden idol of Mahavishnu studded with diamonds and other fully precious stones.^[8]
A solid pure-golden throne, studded with hundreds of diamonds and precious stones, meant for the 18-foot (5.5 m) idol of the deity
Ceremonial attire for adorning the deity in the form of 16-part gold anki weighing almost 30 kilograms (66 lb)
An 18-foot (5.5 m) long pure-gold chain among thousands of pure-gold chains
A pure-gold sheaf weighing 500 kilograms (1,100 lb)
A 36-kilogram (79 lb) golden veil
1200 'Sarappalli' pure-gold coin-chains encrusted with precious stones weighing between 3.5 kg and 10.5 kg
Several sacks filled with golden artefacts, necklaces, diadems, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, gemstones, and objects made of other precious metals
Gold coconut shells studded with rubies and emeralds
Several 18th-century Napoleonic-era coins
Hundreds of thousands of gold coins of the Roman Empire
An 800-kilogram (1,800 lb) hoard of gold coins dating to the medieval period^[8]

According to varying reports, at least three if not many more, solid gold crowns all studded with diamonds and other precious stones and pots of gold were found. While the above list is on the basis of news reports describing the July 2011 opening (and later) of Vaults A, C, D, E and F, a 1930s report from The Hindu mentions a granary-sized structure (within either Vault C or Vault D or Vault E or Vault F) almost filled with mostly gold and some silver coins.^[9]

Source of wealth

The valuables have been accumulated in the temple over several thousands of years, having been donated to the Deity, and subsequently stored in the Temple, by various Dynasties, such as the Cheras, the Pandyas, the Travancore royal family, the Kolathiris, the Pallavas, the Cholas, and many other Kings in the recorded history of both South India and beyond^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16] Most scholars believe that this was accumulated over thousands of years, given the mention of the Deity and the Temple in several extant Hindu Texts, the Tamil Sangam literature (500 BC to 300 AD wherein it was referred to as the "Golden Temple" on account of its then unimaginable wealth), and the treasures consist of countless artifacts dating back to the Chera, Pandya, and Greek and Roman epochs. The ancient epic Silappatikaram (circa 100 AD to 300 AD) speaks of the then Chera King Cenkuttuvan receiving gifts of gold and precious stones from a certain 'Golden Temple' (Arituyil-Amardon) which is believed to be the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21]

Gold had been mined as well as panned from rivers in Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Wayanad, Kollam, Palakkad and Malappuram districts for thousands of years. The Malabar region had several centers of trade and commerce since the Sumerian Period ranging from Vizhinjam in the South to Mangalore in the North. Also, at times like the invasion by Mysore, the other royal families like the Kolathiris (a branch of the Thiruvithamkur Royal Family - both originating in the Thiruvananthapuram area) in the then Kerala and the Far-South took refuge in Thiruvananthapuram, and stored their temple-wealth there for safekeeping in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple.^[10]^[11]^[15]^[16] Also, much of the treasures housed in the much larger and as-yet-unopened vaults, as well as in the much smaller cellars that have been opened, date back to long before the institution of the so-called Travancore Kingdom, e.g. the 800-kg hoard of gold coins from 200 B.C that was mentioned by Vinod Rai. Noted archaeologist and historian R. Nagaswamy has also stated that several records exist in Kerala, of offerings made to the Deity, from several parts of Kerala.^[10] During the reign of Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, hundreds of temples were brought under the Government. The ornaments in these temples were also transferred to the Vaults of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Instead the funds of the Padmanabhaswamy Temple were utilised for the daily upkeep of these temples. From 1766 until 1792, Travancore also provided refuge to around a dozen other Hindu rulers who had fled their own princely states along the Malabar Coast, due to fears of possible military defeat by Kingdom of Mysore. They came with whatever valuables they had in their temples and donated them to Lord Padmanabha. These rulers, and their extended family members, also left their wealth with Lord Padmanabha, when they finally returned home, after Mysore's military defeat by the British forces in 1792.^[5]^[6]^[22]

There are over 3000 surviving bundles of 'Cadjan' leaves (records) in Archaic Malayalam and Tamil, each bundle consisting of a hundred-thousand leaves, which relate to donations of gold and precious stones made exclusively to the temple over the millennia. Most of these are yet to have been studied and very few have even been glanced at yet. As these pertain exclusively to the donations made over millennia they would throw a lot of light on the story of the treasure. Lastly, it has to be remembered that in the period of the Travancore Kingdom, a distinction was always made between the Government (or State) Treasury (Karuvoolam) and the Royal Treasury (Chellam) and the Temple Treasury (Thiruvara Bhandaram or Sri Bhandaram).^{[ citation needed ]}

Related Research Articles

The Kingdom of Travancore, also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or later as Travancore State, was an Indian kingdom that lasted from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At its zenith, the kingdom covered most of the south of modern-day Kerala and the southernmost part of modern-day Tamil Nadu with the Thachudaya Kaimal's enclave of Irinjalakuda Koodalmanikyam temple in the neighbouring Kingdom of Cochin. However Tangasseri area of Kollam city and Anchuthengu near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram were parts of British India.

Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore until 1991. His reign is known for several notable reforms that have indelible impact on the society and culture of Kerala.

Padmanabha is an epithet of the Hindu deity Vishnu. It may refer to:

The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple is a Hindu temple that is devoted to the worship of a deity named Ayyappan, also known as Dharma Shasta. Ayyappan is believed to be the son of Shiva and Mohini. The temple is situated atop a hill in the village of Ranni-Perunad, within the Ranni Taluk of the Pathanamthitta district in the state of Kerala, India. The temple is surrounded by 18 hills in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is one of the largest annual pilgrimage sites in the world, with an estimate of over 10 to 15 million devotees visiting every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaraattu</span> Indian ritual

Ārāttu is an annual ritual performed during Hindu temple festivals in Kerala, India, in which a priest bathe the idol of a deity by dipping it in a river or a temple tank. It is mainly carried out at the end of a temple festival. Ārāttu is celebrated twice annually—the spring festival and the autumn festival. A festival normally lasts 10 days.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple, dedicated to Vishnu, in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the sacred abodes of Vishnu in the Sri Vaishnava tradition. It is widely considered as the world's richest Hindu temple. The name of the city of 'Thiruvananthapuram' in Malayalam and Tamil translates to "The City of Ananta". The temple is built in an intricate fusion of the Kerala style and the Dravidian style of architecture, featuring high walls, and a 16th-century gopuram. While as per some traditions the Ananthapura temple in Kumbla in Kasaragod district in Kerala is considered as the original spiritual seat of the deity ("Mulasthanam"), architecturally to some extent, the temple is a replica of the Adikesava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.

The Adikesava Perumal Temple is a Hindu temple located in Thiruvattar, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India and is one of the 108 Divya desams, the holy sites of Hindu Vaishnavism according to existing Tamil hymns from the seventh and eighth centuries C.E. The temple is one of the historic thirteen Divya Deshams of Malai Nadu. The temple is a picturesque setting surrounded on three sides by rivers namely, It was the Rajya Temple and Bharadevatha shrine of Erstwhile Travancore. After state reorganisation, the temple handed over to Tamilnadu H&RCE Dept. The presiding Vishnu in the form of Ananthapadmabhan/Adikeshavaperumal is believed to be older than Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Since Vishnu resides here in a reclining position, and is surrounded by rivers, the temple is called as "The Srirangam of Chera Kingdom".

The High Court of Kerala is the highest court in the Indian state of Kerala and the Union territory of Lakshadweep. It is located in Kochi. Drawing its powers under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the High Court has the power to issue directions, orders and writs including the writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari for ensuring the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution to citizens or for other specified purposes. The High Court is empowered with original, appellate and revisional jurisdiction in civil as well as criminal matters, and the power to answer references to it under some statutes. The High Court has the superintendence and visitorial jurisdiction over all courts and tribunals of inferior jurisdiction covered under its territorial jurisdiction.

The history of Thiruvananthapuram dates back to the 18th century AD. In 1795, the city became the capital of the princely state of Travancore. Several historic landmarks of the city, including the Kowdiar Palace, University of Kerala, and Napier Museum were built during that period. After independence, Thiruvananthapuram was made the capital of the state of Kerala.

Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma was the titular Maharaja of Travancore. He was the younger brother of the last ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Travancore, Maharajah Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

Thrikkovil Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple with Lord Vishnu as the presiding deity, located at Vallicode village in Pathanamthitta District in Kerala, India.

The Travancore royal family was the ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore.The Travancore royal family signed a treaty with the British in 1788, thereby adopting British dominance. Later, in 1805, they revised the treaty, leading to a diminution of royal authority and the loss of political independence for Travancore. They had to give up their ruling rights over the common people in 1949 when Travancore were forced to merge with Independent India and their political pension privileges were abolished in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvanchikulam Temple</span> Historic site in Kerala, India

ThiruvanchikulamSivaTemple is a Hindu temple situated in Kodungallur in Thrissur district of Kerala state, India. Constructed in the Kerala style of architecture, the temple is believed to have been built during the Chera period. Shiva is worshipped as Mahadeva and his consort Parvathi as Umadevi. There are 33 sub-deities in this temple, the highest number so in Kerala.

Irumkulangara Durga Bhagavathi Temple is a Hindu temple in Thottam, Manacaud P.O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is about 1.8 kilometres to the southwest of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram city.

Kanjirottu Yakshi is a folkloric deity of South India. According to the myth, she was born into an affluent Nair tharavad by name Mangalathu at Kanjiracode in Southern Travancore. Also known as Chiruthevi, she was a beautiful courtesan who had an intimate relationship with Raman Thampi, son of King Rama Varma and rival of Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. She turned into a Yakshi after being murdered by her palanquin-bearer, waylaying men with her beauty and drinking their blood.

Padmavyooham is a 2012 Malayalam mystery-thriller film written and directed by Bijoy P. I. and produced by a team of IT professionals in Technopark under the banner "Mega Wave Productions". The film was released on 26 October 2012.

The Mithrananthapuram Trimurti Temple is a Hindu temple complex in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is a temple in where devotees get to offer worship to all the three Trimurti deities, namely,. The Temple is located on the western side of Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kottiyoor Temple is a prominent Shiva temple in Kottiyoor, Kannur, Kerala, India. Vadakkeshwaram Temple is the common name of the temple from ancient times, but some of the local people address the temple as Ikkare Kottiyoor as it is on the bank of the river close to the Kottiyoor village, to differentiate it from the shrine in the other side of the river. Thruchherumana Kshetram is also another name by which temple is known. The temple is a special category temple under Malabar Devaswom board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirupalkadal Sreekrishnaswamy Temple</span> Hindu temple in Kerala, India

Thirupalkadal Sreekrishna Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, located in the village Keezhperoor, Chirayinkeezhu Taluk, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. The central icon is a four-armed standing Vishnu carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana Chakra, the mace Kaumodaki and a lotus with a holy basil garland. The principal deity, Krishna was the family deity of Ay Family, who ruled over the place during the Sangam period. The kingdom and the family later came to be known as Venad Keezhperoor Swaroopam. It is believed that Kulashekhara Alvar, considered the seventh in the line of the twelve Alvars, renovated this temple. While it is not mentioned in the 108 Divya Desams, it does find mentioned in the list of Abhimana Kshetrams, as well as in many texts and legends. The legends of this temple are closely intertwined with that of the empires and kingdoms that ruled region called Tamilakam and especially the state presently known as Kerala. The history of this temple is closely intertwined with the Chera and Chola Empires and the Kingdoms of Venad and Travancore.

The Thachudaya Kaimals were a lineage of ruling chiefs in Travancore, now in the Indian state of Kerala. The Thachudaya Kaimal is a sacerdotal dignitary in Kerala and is considered the spiritual chief and temporal ruler of the Koodalmanikyam Temple and its estates. The line goes back into antiquity and is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. Tradition dictates that the Guruvayur temple belonging to the Zamorin of Malabar, the Koodalmanikyam temple of the Thachudaya Kaimal family of Travancore and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple of the Travancore royal family are the grandest temples in Kerala in terms of size and proportion of offerings.

References

↑ R., Krishnakumar (14 August 2020). "Supreme Court upholds management rights of former royal family". Frontline . The Hindu Group.
↑ "Gold treasure at India temple could be the largest in the world". COMMODITYONLINE.
↑ "India to evaluate world's largest gold treasure soon". Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
↑ "Asia Times Online :: India's temple treasure prompts test of faith". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
1 2 3 R. Krishnakumar (16 July 2011). "Treasures of history". Frontline. 28 (15). Retrieved 27 November 2015.
1 2 Kazmin, Amy (19 September 2014). "The battle for custodianship of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
↑ Jake Halpern (30 April 2012). "The secret of the temple". The New Yorker. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
1 2 "Padmanabha Swamy temple's wealth beyond imagination: Vinod Rai". The News Minute. 5 January 2015.
↑ A. Srivathsan (6 June 2013). "When the vault was opened in 1931". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
1 2 3 Subramanian, T. S. (18 July 2011). "Eclectic architecture, exquisite features" – via www.thehindu.com.
1 2 "Treasure belongs to the temple and nobody else". Rediff. 11 July 2011.
↑ "Build a world-class museum near Padmanabha Swamy temple". Rediff.
↑ Srivathsan, A. (13 April 2013). "Panel to seek National Geographic Society's help for inventory of temple treasure" – via www.thehindu.com.
↑ Beena Sarasa. "Tales that the fabulous collection in the vaults tell". The Hindu.
1 2 R. KRISHNAKUMAR (July 2011). "Treasures of history". Frontline.
1 2 "Temple Treasure: Do gods need gold?". commodityonline.com/.
↑ Aiyangar, Sakkottai Krishnaswami (1 January 1940). Seran Vanji: Vanji, the Capital of the Cheras. Superintendent, Cochin Government Press. p. 29.
↑ Induchudan, V. T. (1 January 1969). The Secret Chamber: A Historical, Anthropological & Philosophical Study of the Kodungallur Temple. Cochin Devaswom Board. p. 47.
↑ Induchudan, V. T. (1 January 1971). The golden tower: a historical study of the Tirukkulasekharapuram and other temples. Cochin Devaswom Board. p. 65.
↑ S. Krishnamoorthy (1964). Silappadikaram. Bharathi Puthakalayam. p. 155. GGKEY:TY1K6TGS39B.
↑ V. T. Induchudan (1971). The golden tower: a historical study of the Tirukkulasekharapuram and other temples. Cochin Devaswom Board. p. 73.
↑ Subramanian, T. S. (1 August 2011). "The provenance of the temple treasure". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 November 2015.