We don’t want Lord’s wealth, says tearful Travancore queen

The queen of Travancore’s royal family, Gowri Lakshmi Bai, was in tears when she confided in the Paryaya Shiroor Mutt swamiji Lakshmivara Thirtha at the Krishna Mutt on Saturday.

“I appeal to you to pray for the well-being and safety of my family and the enormous wealth of the Lord Anantha Padmanabha temple of Thiruvananthapuram,” she told the swamiji.

She spent a considerable time in mutt during her visit to the temple and told the seer that “my family does not want anything from the treasure of the Lord. The devotees don’t want any of it, but I must caution that if the government takes over, it (temple treasure) will become the personal wealth of politicians.

I want you to pray to Lord Krishna to give wisdom to the people to direct the audit of wealth to prevail on the government not to take it over. The wealth should be allowed to remain as it is.”Swamiji Lakshmivara Thirtha tried in vain to console her.

He said: “I sympathise with you. If the government enters temples on the pretext of unearthing the wealth, one day there will be no sanctity left in temples. People should stop this aggression against temples.”

A source said, members of the royal family went to temples in Kukke Subramanya, Kollur Mookambika, Kateel Durga Parameshwari, Hattiangadi Siddi Vinayaka, Sringeri Sharada Peeta and Annapoorneshwari temple at Horanadu.