Apex court asked to keep Kerala temple's vault B shut

The Supreme Court was moved on Friday seeking direction to the apex court appointed committee not to open kallara (vault) B of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala as such a step would hurt the sentiments of a large number of devotees.

The Supreme Court was moved on Friday seeking direction to the apex court appointed committee not to open kallara (vault) B of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala as such a step would hurt the sentiments of a large number of devotees.

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Rama Varma, a member of the erstwhile Travancore royal family, said in his application that most of the devotees are against the opening of the vault B as this would hurt their sentiments and beliefs.

He also said that there should not be any videography and photography of the material present in the vault.

The application said that, as it is, by opening of five other kallaras, particularly the kallara A, the threat to the security of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple has increased. By opening the kallara B, the threat would increase further.

The application has also raised issues about the way the court appointed committee was conducting its affairs.

By its July 21 order, an apex court bench of Justice R.V.Raveendran and Justyice A.K.Patnaik had set up a committee to conduct an inventory of the treasure found from Kallara A of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple.

The committee was also mandated to examine the necessity of opening Kallara B, which continues to be locked. It is generally believed by Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple devotees that the opening of Kallara B would unleash the wrath of Sri Padmanabhaswamy on all those involved in disturbing it.

Headed by National Museum's director general of C.V. Ananda Bose, the committee has nominees of the Archaeological Survey of India, the Reserve Bank of India and the executive office of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple as its members.