Daijiworld Media Network – Thiruvananthapuram (SP)

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 3: The Supreme Court took umbrage to the initiatives undertaken by the members of Travancore royal lineage, whose trust manages Lord Anantapadmanabhaswamy Temple here, to organize ‘Ashtamangala’ astrological procedure to get divine opinion on the opening of the secret vaults of the temple. “Who do you think should take a decision on valuation of the hidden treasure? The astrologers or the court?” the judges questioned. The judges also expressed unhappiness at frequent change of stance on the issue by the royal family members.

The court observed that ‘Ashtamangala’ divine query procedure can not be treated as a holistic solution to the issue. It also asked the members of the royal lineage to stick to any particular stand.

The court expressed its objections, when it was informed that the ‘Ashtamangala’ procedure had been adopted at the temple premises to gauge the opinion of the divine powers for the assets evaluation process. The query had indicated that calamities will hound the region if the vaults are opened.

On Friday, the royal lineage strongly advocated against opening of the remaining ‘B’ vault, and also against the videotaping and photographing the assets in other vaults. Lawyer Venugopal, representing the royals, argued that video-recording and taking photo shoots go against the customs of the temple.

The judges of the bench, ‘Justice R V Ravindran, and Justice A K Patnaik, expressed surprise when the committee of experts appointed by it to open the secret vaults and recording the contents therein informed that the issue of opening of ‘B’ vault had been left to the discretion of the chief priest of the temple. “How can the committee outsource a work entrusted by us to it?” it asked.