Thiruvananthapuram:
Should the underground chambers referred to as Secret Vault B be opened at Kerala's famous Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple? The Supreme Court has set up a committee to decide the contentious issue.
Five of the six vaults at the temple have been opened in the last few weeks to jaw-dropping effect. Gold coins, jewellery and statues estimated to be worth one lakh crores were discovered. Most of them were deposited by the former royal family of Travancore which built the temple to Lord Vishnu in the 16th century. Descendants of the royal family still supervise the Trust that manages the temple.
The debate over whether to open Vault B stems from local superstition that entering it will lead to bad luck.
An expert committee with five members will debate how to handle devotees' reservations. The panel will be headed by Dr CV Ananda Bose from the National Museum and will include representatives of the Reserve Bank of India and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The committee will also supervise the inventory of the temple treasure which will be documented with videos and photos. The experts will also decide what items can be kept for public display in the temple.
Security at the temple has been an issue of local concern. Chief Minister Oomen Chandy has deputed a sizeable police force to safeguard the treasure. Control rooms devoted to the temple have also been set up.