NEW DELHI – A vast treasure trove of billions of dollars in gold coins,
jewels and precious stones unearthed at a Hindu temple in India was
expected to grow further in value Monday as officials opened the last
two secret vaults sealed for nearly 150 years.
The discovery has instantly turned the 16th-century Sree Padmanabhaswamy
Temple into one of the wealthiest religious institutions in the
country, prompting a government move to beef up security around it.
An archive image of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram,
the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala, Feb. 18, 2011.
The four vaults already opened in recent days at the temple in
Trivandrum, the capital of the southern state of Kerala, held a vast
bounty that unofficial estimates peg at $22 billion.
Other treasures unearthed so far include statues of gods and goddesses
made of solid gold and studded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other
precious stones, crowns and necklaces, all given as gifts to the temple
over the centuries.
The volume of gold and silver coins was so enormous that the
investigators weighed the coins by the sackful, rather than counting
them, officials said.
The temple, built by the maharajas who ruled the then-kingdom of
Travancore, remained under the control of the erstwhile royal family
after India’s independence in 1947.
India’s Supreme Court ordered the inspection of the vaults after a
lawyer petitioned a local court asking the state government to take over
the temple, citing inadequate security.
The operation began last week and the final vaults were to be unlocked Monday.
Before the trove was uncovered, there was almost no visible security at
the temple, save for a few local security guards patrolling the complex
with batons, mainly for crowd control.
Kerala’s police chief, Jacob Punnoose, said he sent extra police
officers to guard the temple and is planning a high-tech security system
to protect the treasure.
“We plan to enhance security in a manner which will not interfere with
the activities of the temple or devotees,” Mr. Punnoose said.
The security plans include the installation of digital electronic
networks, closed circuit cameras and metal detectors at the entrance and
exits of the temple.
