Treasure temple

The account in The Hindu of 1931 (reproduced on July 7), when a secret vault was opened and an inventory of the valuables made, was very interesting. Spiritually speaking, all the wealth lying under the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is offering made to Sree Padmanabhaswami temple by successive royal families. But one can ask rationally of what use are the gold and silver items — apart from those which can be adorned by the deity — stored in vaults over centuries. They can be used for public welfare.

The Supreme Court should come up with a guideline on the future, and prevent the treasure's misuse or disuse. It should take public opinion into account as the issue involves people's sentiments.

T.V. Suresh, Coimbatore

The Sankaracharya of Kanchi has said that the valuables belong to the Travancore royal family which dedicated the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswami. The fact that the treasure has been in safe custody for centuries speaks volumes about the devotion of the royal family, which was amply expressed by Aswati Tirunal Gauri Laksmi Bayi who said: “I am a serf, slave and more/ Dust under your feet/ Held captive not in chains/ But in beloved bondage/of troth eternal.”

Jacob George, Changanacherry

How such a huge treasure could be accumulated and stored in various vaults in the dark rooms of a temple remains a mystery. In the olden times, people were forced to pay taxes. A major portion of this now-discovered wealth is people's contribution. Huge amounts collected from people were utilised by kings to refurbish temples and buy large quantities of precious ornaments. The source of the wealth in Sree Padmanabhaswami temple should be ascertained. A law should then be enacted to enable the state to take over the wealth. It should be used to improve the living conditions of the poor.

Antony A. Cheniyara, Irinjalakuda

If the government takes over the wealth, it will vanish into tax havens and soon be stashed away into the accounts of those whose names cannot be disclosed to us for reasons known only to the government. Alternatively, it will be swallowed by unscrupulous politicians.

Anjali Sreekumar, Thiruvananthapuram