Padmanabhaswamy Temple - Richest temple in the world
Story behind the temple
Temple situated in Thiruvaenanthapuram
in Kerala. This temple has existed for centuries, tucked amidst the lagoons and
coconut trees, in 2011 a person working at the temple went to the court
complaining that the temple fund was being mismanaged and the court, ordered
that the temple assets be inventoried off went the auditors, down into the underground
chambers where the vaults were located and were there surprises waiting for
them only six vaults were initially declared. They found two more when they entered
the vault an turn their torches in, they could hardly believe their eyes large
containers filled with precious stones, coins and jewellery, were lying
scattered all over the floor what did it
include among other things are necklace of pure gold – 18 feet long a solid
gold throne studded with diamond thousand of gold chains and many thousands of golden
pots and many coins medieval roman and pre Christian era coins some dating as
far back as 200 BCE They say there is over 1300 tonnes of gold in those vaults.
Add all the other treasures and the net worth of this temples estimated at a
whopping at 40 billion U.S. Dollars and this is only material value. Most of
these items are ancient and priceless
Reason behind its wealth
Kerala has always been a wealthy
state and had been trading with Arabia, Europe and Africa for at least 2000
years much of this excess wealth made its wealth to the temple as it usually do
in India also, for centuries the local south Indian dynasties had been giving
gifts to this famous temple the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandya’s and the Travancore
Kings. Even after wars, when the new king takeovers the royal patronage to the
temple would continue After all, these were their gods too so Rarely the temple
was brought down Later between the 17th and 19th
centuries, Hindu rulers seeking refugee from invading armies were often allowed
settle down in Travancore they used these vaults to keep their wealth safe King donated his kingdom in the feet of the lord |
| king of Travancore Marthanda Varma |
In 1750, on Jan 18th
the king of Travancore Marthanda Varma
walked into temple, and placed his personal sword, the symbol of his power
at the feet of the lord he declared that everything he owned, his entire kingdom,
now belongs to the lord and with that the deity of the temple, lord Padmanabhaswamy
officially became the king of Travancore
Twice a year the airport of Thiruvananthapuram
airport is shut down for 5 full hours, allowing the procession to pass through.
It is the kingdom of God after all
Mystery of the temple
There is still one vault in the temple
which remains locked Vault B no one knows what’s inside It seems that the doors
of this particular vault have the dreaded image of a snake carved on it an ill-omen the temple priest swear that terrible
things will happen if the door opened so no one has dared to open it. Yet what
secrets it could be hiding evil spirits, or accounts of royal scandal, or
unimaginable wealth we may never know and that will be a good thing too.
 |
| Image portraying Vault B of the temple |
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