When the vault was opened in 1931

Reports in The Hindu, and accounts provided in a book, detail how at least one vault at the Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple was opened decades ago

The Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in a picturefrom 1940:— Photo:The Hindu Photo Archives

Sixty-nine years ago, long before the latest discovery of phenomenal treasures in the Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, at least one of the several vaults of the temple had been opened and an inventory made of the precious objects found inside.The Hindu's correspondent, who witnessed the events, filed reports describing the scene and the finds.

On Sunday, December 6, 1931, around 10 a.m., at an auspicious time chosen by the temple officials, one of the vaults was opened. Following special religious rites, “the key was applied to the old and rusty locks.” Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Maharaja, himself was at hand. An ambulance waited outside to attend to any emergency. The locks failed to yield, and the doors were broken open after a two-and-a-half-hour struggle.

Floodlights and torches were used to light up the space inside, and electrical fans were switched on to ‘pump air in and out' of the cellar. The temple officials found four chests made of brass which contained old coins. Next to them was “a granary like thing,” full of gold and silver coins. Over that there were several gold pots. There was a wooden chest fixed to the ground, and it had six chambers. In it were jewels with diamonds, rubies, emerald and other precious stones. In addition, there were over 300 gold pots and fourvancheds, or coffers.

The officials who got into the first cellar found that another one was behind it. It was believed,The Hindureport mentioned, that in all there were four cellars: Mahabarathakonathu kallara, Sree Pandarathu kallara, Vedavyanakonathu kallara and Sarswathikonathu kallara.

By 3.30 p.m., the operation was stopped and the vault sealed. The four vancheds were taken to the Chellavagai, or palace treasury, “for counting and valuation.” It is not clear from the reports if any of the remaining cellars were opened in the following days. The reasons for opening the vaults too were not elaborated.

However, Emily Gilchrist Hatch, who was in Trivandrum in 1933, offered an explanation in her book,Travancore:A guide book for the visitor(Oxford University Press, 1933). She not only recalled the 1931 opening of the vault, but also mentioned a similar but unsuccessful attempt that had been made in 1908.

Ms. Hatch, who in the preface to her book profusely thanked the Travancore government for all the “help and counsel” extended to her, recorded that the temple had a vast amount of wealth ‘lain in vaults.'

“About 25 years ago,” she wrote, “when the State needed additional money, it was thought expedient to open these chests and use the wealth they contained.” “A group of people” got together and attempted to enter the vaults with torches. When they found them “infested with cobras” they “fled for their lives.”

However, in 1931 the temple officials were better prepared with “electric lights and system of fans,” she observed.

The 1930s were difficult times. The princely state Travancore, like the rest of India, was facing an economic depression. Revenues had fallen and the prices of agricultural produce had come down. It was in these difficult times that Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma was invested with ruling powers, T. Austin, an Englishman, succeeded Subrahmanya Aiyar as Dewan, and C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar was appointed legal and constitutional adviser to the Travancore government.

However, in 1932, when the Dewan recalled the important events of the preceding year in his annual address to the Sri Mulam Popular Assembly, one of the two legislatures in Travancore then, there was no mention of any treasure being taken from the temple or used.

Ms. Hatch's book provided a description of how large wooden chests were placed “ready to receive the daily offerings.” She mentioned that as and when the chests became full they were lowered into the vaults for safe-keeping. This may partially explain how votive offerings like gold coins reached the vaults. But the description does not throw much light on how large artefacts such as the golden icon that was recently discovered reached the vaults.

Indeed, how such vast amounts of wealth and innumerable artefacts accumulated in the vaults, and remained safe without apparent pilferage for such a long period, remains a puzzle.

-The Hindu 

Supreme Court bars opening of Padmanabhaswamy temple vaults

The Supreme Court on Friday restrained the seven-member committee from opening vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, which according to various estimates contains wealth worth over Rs. 1 lakh crore.

A bench of justices R.V. Raveendran and A.K. Patnaik asked the petitioner Raja Marthanda Varma, erstwhile Prince of Travancore, and the Kerala government to come out with appropriate suggestions for ensuring sanctity and security of the ancient temple which has come to the limelight following discovery of the huge wealth.

The Supreme Court while restraining the opening of vault (B) and also the vault (A) posted the matter for further hearing on next Thursday.

During the arguments, senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the erstwhile prince, clarified that the temple was a public property and no member of the royal family claims any ownership or right over the huge property.

“The royal family is not claiming any ownership. It is a public temple. It is not claiming any ownership of property. No part of it belongs to any member of the family. The property belongs to Lord Padmanabhaswamy,” he told the bench.

The royal family which is the trustee of the temple has challenged the Kerala government’s decision to take over the administration of the temple which was earlier upheld by the Kerala High Court.

During today’s arguments, the bench observed that utmost security should be ensured in and around the temple in view of the discovery of the huge wealth.

Emphasising on security measures, the bench observed, “Instead of having their eyes on the deity or sanctum sanctorum, the eyes of many people will now be on these kallara (vaults).”

Counsel Venugopal also clarified that the value of the treasure reportedly discovered from the temple was not authentic as they were mere media speculations.

“So they were valuation by the media. They are newspaper valuations,” the bench remarked.

The apex court, during the last hearing on July 6, had directed videography of the ongoing unearthing of treasure trove inside the chambers of the temple.

The bench had proposed the appointment of a curator of a museum to preserve the treasure being unearthed from the centuries-old temple in Kerala.

The treasures found from cellars of the temple are estimated to be around Rs 1 lakh crore.

The Supreme Court’s directions had come during the hearing of a petition by the heir of erstwhile prince of Travancore Raja Rama Varma, challenging a Kerala High Court ruling of January 31 this year, ordering takeover of the assets and management of the shrine by the state.

The court had also barred the observer, supervising the unearthing of the temple’s treasure, from giving any interview of the process, saying the matter is related to the state.

The apex court had earlier passed an interim order on a plea filed by Rama Varma’s uncle Marthanda Varma staying the high court’s order for takeover of the management and assets of the temple.

While hearing the petition, the court had directed that “there shall be a detailed inventory of the articles, valuables and ornaments found from the temple’s treasure trove.” 

-The Hindu