KOCHI (Commodity Online) :Sree Padmanabha swami temple, which already revealed a mammoth treasure amounting to nearly $22 billion, is expected to produce more surprises as two more secret chambers are to be opened later this week.
Analysts said two more chambers B and E remain to be opened and are expected to disgorge many more royal treasures and the final value could hit $25 billion.
The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee authorized to calculate the value and each chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground.
Officials expect the entire operations to calculate the treasure to be completed this week but had decided against filming or photographing the process as this wasn’t allowed under temple traditions.
Antiquarians said it would take much longer to conclusively evaluate the treasure as the historical value of the objects recovered would need to be assessed along with their astronomical intrinsic value.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government has decided to provide commando protection to the temple and seek central government help to maintain heavy security in and around the temple which was situated in a thickly populated area.
Medias and public in Kerala are discussing widely on the treasure and are divided on what to do with the vast treasure which is likely to hit at least $25 billion once the B vault will be opened.
Some argued that the treasure would be utilized for the welfare of the state and cited example of northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in this regard.
Earlier this year , In order to widen the scope of earlier bill and dispose off idleGoldin the stock of temple trusts, Himachal Pradesh government proposed amendment in the HP Hindu Public Religious & Charitable Endowments Act 1984, proposing better utilization of gold reserves.
The Bill intends to insert new clauses in section 12(A) in HP Hindu Public Religious & Charitable Endowments Act 1984 by proposing that 50 per cent gold be converted into gold biscuits or coins and sold to the devotees and pilgrim on the current prevailing market price.
However, Kerala has already made it clear that the entire treasure belongs to temple and deity and rejected any questions about who should manage the wealth, much of which is believed to have been deposited at the temple by the royal family of the princely state of Travancore.
Although a final decision in this regard will be taken by India’s apex court, The Supreme Court of India once it has established the total value of the holdings, which could take months to finish.
Early estimates of the treasure have been revised several times as searchers have opened more of the vaults in recent days.
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