Thiruvananthapuram, a city crowded with ancient Hindu temples, is headed into the record books. Police have discovered more than $22 billion worth gold coins and precious stones worth billions of dollars in the vaults of one of the city’s oldest temples.
Armed commandoes cordoned off the medieval temple on Monday after local authorities, responding to an order by India’s Supreme Court, said that the initial search of the vaults yielded treasures worth at least $12 billion. On Tuesday morning, that figure had risen to $22 billion. Archeologists that figure may rise further.
“The treasure will be kept in the temple itself and Kerala police are taking over its security from temple staff,” said Mr. Chandy.
Five vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the capital of Kerala state, Thiruvananthapuram, were opened last week, yielding enormous quantities of gold and silver jewelry, coins and precious stones.
Retired Kerala High Court judge C.S. Rajan, who is part of a seven-member team named by India’s Supreme Court to monitor the treasure hunt, estimated Sunday that the valuables could be worth up to a trillion rupees ($22 billion).
“Its antique and archeological value has not been yet been taken into account,” he stressed.
A seventh vault reinforced with iron walls would be opened only after a fresh direction from India’s top court, he said.
The Times of India said one ton of gold coins −some dating back to the era of French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte − as well as sacks full of diamonds and golden statues, were among the artifacts discovered in the temple.
The state-run national conservation agency, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), said it was stunned by the findings.
“Right now we are working in absolute darkness and we only know that fabulous treasure is pouring out,” ASI Director General Gautam Sengupta said.
“No archeologist has ever experienced vault after vault being opened and treasures being discovered like this,” Mr. Sengupta said in New Delhi, adding that many of the Hindu shrines across India were “very rich.”
The discoveries have catapulted the Hindu shrine, renowned for its intricate sculptures, into the league of world’s richest religious institutions.
It was built hundreds of years ago by the king of Travancore, and donations by devotees have been kept in the temple’s seven vaults ever since.
Since India achieved independence from Britain, in 1947, a trust managed by descendants of the Travancore royal family has controlled the temple.
Shashi Bhushan, a Thiruvananthapuram-based historian retired from Kerala University, told the Mint business newspaper that the treasure was likely to be “the proceeds of trade” from a nearby ancient trading center, Vizhinjam.
“They had a flourishing trade between various other kingdoms in India. Then there was revenue from various chiefdoms and local rulers,” he said.
India’s supreme court recently ordered that the temple be managed by the state of Kerala to ensure the security of its valuables.
Until now, the Thirupathy temple, in southern Andhra Pradesh state, was believed to be India’s richest temple, with offerings from devotees worth 320 billion rupees ($7.6 billion).
The Thirupathy temple would use hair shaven by pilgrims to make wigs, which its officials sold. The products would fetch million of dollars annually.
Kerala has traditionally sent thousands of workers to the Middle East each year, and they account for remittances that constitute some 25 percent of the state’s annual budget.
(Dina Al-Shibeeb, a senior editor at Al Arabiya English
No comments:
Post a Comment