Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Panel to take inventory of temple vaults

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seven-member committee tasked by the Supreme Court to take an inventory of the six vaults at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple here would meet at the Temple premises at 10 a.m. on Monday.

The meeting is expected to finalise the modalities for opening the ‘kallaras' (vaults). The articles inside the vaults would be photographed and videographed if deemed necessary by the committee.

Of the six vaults, the contents of two vaults — A and B — are the subject of a controversy. These vaults have supposedly not been opened for more than a century.

While vaults C and D contain articles which are used for regular rituals at the temple, vaults E and F contain ornaments. The ‘Periya Nambi' and the ‘Thekkedom Nambi,' the two priests of the Temple are the custodians of these four vaults.

It is likely that only these four vaults would be opened on Monday. A note circulated by M. N. Krishnan, Ombudsman for Local Self-Government Institutions and the person in charge of organising the inventory to committee members says that “it is desirable that opening of kallaras (A) and (B) shall be done at the end. Taking of inventory with respect to Schedule 9C0 to (F) can be done first.” The methodology and date for opening the vaults A and B can be fixed by the committee on Monday, the note suggests.

The note also points out that it would be necessary to have the assistance of three persons who are well-versed in preparing inventories. The services of approved observers for gold, diamond and silver articles would also be necessary, the note reads.

The Supreme Court has directed that “the existing practices, procedures and rituals” of the temple may be followed while opening vaults C to F and in using the articles inside. Vaults A and B “shall be opened only for the purposes of making inventory of the articles and then closed and sealed again,” the apex court's order says.

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