Padmanabhaswamy Temple: SC Questions Devaprasnam

The Supreme Court on Friday expressed surprise over the fact that the decision to open the vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram was taken by the head priest. The decision should have been taken by the Supreme Court-appointed expert committee instead, the court said.

The apex court was hearing the plea filed by the Travancore royal family, based on the findings of the Devaprasnam (an astrological examination) that the treasures of the temple should not be photographed or videographed. It also stated that the Cobra vault should not be opened as this amounts to interfering with traditional practices of the people and the temple.

The SC was hearing the plea filed by the Travancore royal family, based on the findings of the Devaprasnam. Earlier astrologers in Kerala said that god did not want the treasure found at the temple to be taken out of the premises in Thiruvananthapuram. They claimed that the treasures discovered at the temple must not be moved, or the wrath of the gods will be unleashed. This was decided at the four-day Devaprasnam - a ritual conducted to ascertain the will of god. However the court adjourned the matter to September 6.