New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has said that for now, the only unopened vault of Kerala's Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple will remain closed. However, the court made it clear that this is not because of local superstition that warns of bad luck if the vault is forced open. The court also said it has not given any weight to a recent ritual performed - the 'Devaprasnam - which priests describe as an astrological referendum that also asked that Vault B remain off-limits.
The court will also pass orders on October 21 on the recommendations on various security aspects.
The temple has six underground vaults, five of which have been opened in the last few months to reveal unbelievable gold, jewelry and cash - estimated to be worth one lakh crore.
The court said today that it a committee of experts appointed to supervise the inventory of the treasure has recommended that Vault B should be left alone till the contents of the five other underground chambers are recorded through photographs and videos.
The judges hearing the case said, "Secret Vault B is not being opened now... but we will take a decision and do not propose to hand over the decision to others. Impractical or superstitious decisions and security can't go hand in hand." However, the judge also said, "We are not anxious to break tradition. We will ensure that traditions are respected and certain decisions are to be taken if it becomes inevitable and work out some compromise."
The vaults of the temple are being opened after a local activist in Thiruvananthapuram warned that the treasure in the temple was being mismanaged, and that security was lax.
The temple was built by the royal family of Travancore, whose descendants still manage the trust that governs the temple.