'Padmanabhaswamy temple's riches should remain with it'

A group of Hindu organisations Tuesday said the city-based 16th century Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple's treasure, unofficially estimated to be worth over Rs1 lakh crore, should remain with it.

Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Kummanam Rajesekharan, who spoke to the media after a meeting of 59 Hindu organisations, said: "It has come to light that organisations like the Archaeological Survey of India and the National Museum are looking at this treasure."

"Our only request to them and others is that this is the property of the temple and nobody else," he said.

"We at our meeting unanimously concluded that whatever was found during the stock-taking by a Supreme Court-appointed committee is the property of the temple and it is not public property. Sree Padmanabhaswamy is a juridical entity," said Rajesekharan.

In May, a Supreme Court-appointed seven-member committee was appointed to prepare an inventory of the treasures contained in the temple's six vaults.

Rubies, diamonds, gold statues and coins found in the five vaults opened so far have been unofficially estimated to be valued at over Rs1 lakh crore.

Rajesekharan added that the stand taken by the Kerala government was correct when it said the treasure was the property of the temple and their duty was to provide security.

The case would be heard next by the apex court Thursday.

"We are going to hold meetings of all office bearers of temples across the state and Hindu organisations to make the faithful aware of the situation," said Rajesekharan.