Thiruvananthapuram: The pro-VHP Kerala
Temples Protection Council on Tuesday demanded that treasures found
in Shree Padmanabhaswamy temple here be protected as assets of
the shrine and said it would implead itself in the related
case in the Supreme Court.
This was decided at a meeting of various pro-Vishwa Hindu
Parishad outfits here, 'Hindu Aikyavedi' president Kummanam
Rajasekharan told reporters.
He said the Hindu organisations had apprehensions about
the reported move of government and semi-government agencies
like the National Museum Authority and the Archaeological
Survey of India to claim the huge wealth and display them in
museums as public property.
However, the VHP and its allied outfits welcomed the UDF
government's stand that the treasures found during the recent
inventory belonged to the presiding deity of the temple,
Lord Padmanabha, he said.
The forum demanded the treasure be categorised into three
types of properties--- those which are used for temple rituals
and poojas, those items to be preserved with "utmost sanctity"
and those articles which could be displayed for the public to
see.
This third category could be exhibited in a museum
attached to the temple and the proceeds could be utilised for
the benefit of the Hindu community, he said.
However, before taking any decision on this, the view of
the temple authorities, including the 'thanthris' (priests),
the devotees and the royal representatives should be elicited,
he said.
The shrine is managed by a trust controlled by the
erstwhile Travancore Royal family.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 18:54