Apex court names panel to evaluate Kerala temple treasure
July 21st, 2011 - 8:04 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, July 21 (IANS) The Supreme Court Thursday set up an experts committee to make an inventory of the treasure found from Kallara (vault) A of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala.
An apex court bench of Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice A.K. Patnaik said the committee of five experts will videograph and photograph the articles found in Kallara A.
Diamonds, rubies, gold jewellery and other valuables worth an estimated Rs.1 lakh crore have been found in chambers of the temple by a Supreme Court-appointed team. Five of the six chambers of the temple have been opened so far.
The experts committee will categorise all the articles broadly under three heads - ornaments of historical, artistic and antique value, those which are of regular use, and those which are of monetary value only.
It will suggest steps for long-term preservation and security of the treasure and also the feasibility of setting up a high-security museum within the temple complex, the court said.
The court barred any unauthorised person from being present when the committee would take out the treasure from the vault for preparing the inventory.
The committee will also examine the necessity of opening Kallara B, which remains closed, at all.
The committee will be headed by Director General of National Museum C.V. Ananda Bose. Other members of the committee include M.V. Nair and a nominee each of the Archaeological Survey of India, the Reserve Bank of India and the executive office of the temple.
The experts committee will report to the apex court only, the court said.
The court appointed another three-member committee, to be headed by Justice M.N. Krishnan, to oversee the operations of the experts committee. The three-member committee will include former prince of the erstwhile Travancore princely state Sree Marthanda Varma and a nominee of the Kerala government.
The court directed the state government and the temple trust to bear the expenses of the experts committee.
The court also restrained the media from speculating on the value of the temple’s treasure.
- Apex court asked to keep Kerala temple's vault B shut - Aug 19, 2011
- Apex Court to examine opening of Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple vault - Mar 29, 2012
- Supreme Court bars opening of Kerala temple's sixth vault - Jul 08, 2011
- Padmanabhaswamy temple panel to decide Sep 2 on unopened vault - Aug 26, 2011
- Head of former Travancore royalty accused of smuggling - Aug 20, 2011
- Experts to begin documenting Kerala temple treasure - Jul 31, 2011
- New post created to guard Kerala temple treasure - Jul 26, 2011
- Experts begin documenting Kerala temple treasure - Aug 01, 2011
- Hindu organisations meet July 12 on Kerala temple treasure - Jul 08, 2011
- Kerala temple treasure's documentation begins Nov 9 - Oct 15, 2011
- Kerala temple's Vault B shouldn't be opened, apex court told - Sep 02, 2011
- Kerala not to take over Padmanabhaswamy temple: Minister - Apr 20, 2012
- Kerala temple treasure: Trial documentation on Feb 9 - Jan 22, 2012
- Achuthanandan denies he called ex-royal family smuggler - Aug 23, 2011
- Don't open Kerala temple's vault B for now: Supreme Court - Sep 16, 2011
Tags: ananda, antique value, apex court, archaeological survey of india, bank of india, committee of five, court bench, crore, erstwhile travancore, experts committee, gold jewellery, kerala government, member committee, monetary value, padmanabhaswamy temple, princely state, raveendran, reserve bank of india, term preservation, unauthorised person