Who Is The Owner For This Treasure.

Who Is The Owner For This Treasure.

Few months back a Sree Padmanabhaswamy devotee and 1964 batch Indian Police Service officer Sunderarajan approached the Supreme Court. He had complained that the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum (Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, India) authorities are mismanaging temple assets and he wanted an estimation of the assets that remained untouched for several years. Later Supreme Court appointed seven member expert commity, they found the temple has 6 secret cellar (Nilavara – a place to keep assets safe) from cellar A to cellar F, sum cellars have never been opend after 1872. The panel had set out on the job on June 27 and opend three cellars, found each of these chambers have different type of treasure.  Supreme Court appointed committee started the stock taking process of the temple cellars. These cellars have precious diamonds, gold ornaments, British East India Company and Napoleon's period gold coins, emeralds, jewelleries, golden idols, rare antique silver and brass platters. The treasure is unofficially estimated to be worth over Rupees One Lakh Crores (100,000 crore or $10 trillion), call it the mother of all treasure hunts and cellar B is still closed.

          Now this matter is a interesting subject for People, recently main opposition party of Kerala, Communist Party Of India Marxist (CPIM) State secretary Pinarayi Vjayan said "the treasure found in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here is the property of the State and we want a board similar to the ones in place in Tirupati and Guruvayoor temple, should be set up to manage it". But Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (Congress Party) has earlier said "the treasure was Kerala's pride and part of the State's culture and was the property of the temple". In this post we will check who is the real owner for this treasure.

          In the year 1993, a morning in Trivandrum City, I just completed my film institute course and staying with one of my friend. That institute managing director called me and appointed me as an office manager. One evening one of my Hindu friend told me he want to go Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple because he want to meet sum one is working in temple office and he invite me also to go there. I agreed and after thirty minutes we reached there, that was my first visit. When I saw that temple Madurai Meenakshi temple was in my mind but Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple pond (Padmatheerthakulam) attract me because I never sow that much big temple pond before any ware. He went temple office and I weight near the temple entrance steps. I didn't find anyone, after few minutes one person came from out side he asked me "why you are here". I told him the reason, that person also went inside. After few minutes my friend came out, he was laughing and he asked me "that person asked sum thing", I said what he asked then he said "ok we will go". After this when I want to go 'Eenchakkal' (a place near Trivandrum city) side I entered Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple compound sum times with friends because there was a short cut near the temple pond, that days we never thought this temple has a treasure. There was a time Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple was the part of feudal Kingdom of Venad.

          AD 1724 King Rama Varma was ruled Venad, before him Madhurai Thirumala Naikan attack Venad because of that Venad had lot of internal problems and anarchism. King Rama Varma was a weak ruler during whose reign the Ettuveetil Pillamar (Eight powerful Nair feudal lords of ancient Travancore), the Ettara Yogam and other nobles had more power than the King. It is believed that Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and its properties were maintained by Ettuveetil Pillamar. They don't have good relations with King; 'Yogakar' (Ettara Yogam) also supported Ettuveetil Pillamar. But nephew of Raja Ramavarma and next King, intelligent prince Marthanda Varma don't like this situation. On his advice in 1726 King Rama Varma signed a treaty with Madhurai 'Nayaks' (Pandyan Government) and secured a foreign force in the Country to check the activities of the Ettuveetil Pillamar and other rebels. Previously he had also signed an agreement with the British East India Company as the prince of Neyatinkara in 1723. It was the first agreement in India a Kingdom made agreement with British East India Company. Later Marthanda Varma suppressed the Ettuveetil Pillamar and other rebels and took over the control of the temple. This incurred the wrath of the eight lords and rebels, they decide to kill prince. The rest was that Marthanda Varma had to flee from the capital for the safety; he went northern states such as Kottarakara, Kayamkulam etc. There he faced so many difficulties many years, traveled from one place to another to escape his enemies.

          On the demise of Raja Rama Varma in 1729, Prince Marthanda Varma succeeded to the throne under the marumakkathayam law of inheritance. Late Maharaja Rama Varma had two son's Padmanabha and Raman Thampi, known as the "Kunju Thampimar". They don’t like this, the succession of their cousin to their father's throne irked the Kunju Thampimar they allied themselves with the Ettuveetil Pillamar for the Marthanda Varma's foes. On their instigation the Thampi brothers proceeded to Trichonopoly and succeeded in making the Pandyan Government there believe that Marthanda Varma was a usurper and that they were the rightful heirs to the throne of Venad. The Pandyan Government deputed a commander known as Azhagappa Mudaliar to install the Kunju Thampimar in Venad and punish Marthanda Varma. However the Mudaliar was bribed by the King Marthanda Varma. Soon after 1730 Thampi brothers made a visit to their cousin at Nagercoil Palace, there both are killed by King Marthanda Varma, he cap chard Ettuveetil Pillamar and rebels. Later he prosecuted all of them and approximately forty two of them got death punishment and hanged in Muhamandapam, deported sum Nambudiris (Brahmins). He decide to destroy all of their family, their women and children's are donated to fisher means. Then he attack other neighboring Kings, defeated Kollam (Quilon). The Raja of Kayamkulam was killed, annexed the Elayadath Swaroopam and he reduced the power of Queen Attingal. He attacks Cochin and defeat that force later Cochin King made an agreement with King Marthanda Varma. This way he extended his kingdom with the help of British East India Company and French force.

          Later he understand one thing, he can't control his kingdom only the support of military. Because he extended his kingdom only the way of brutally murder and capture. That period moral system was not allowed that way and People also mentally not support that meatheads because of this he decide to add religion on his throne. Marthanda Varma has done major renovations the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple; he brought twelve thousand "Salagramam" from Banaras and heard that the current structure of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple was made by the King. He introduced the Murajapam and Bhadra Deepam, restart festivals.

          In 3rd January 1750, Maharaja Marthanda Varma dedicated kingdom of Travancore to Lord Padmanabha. Marthanda Varma vowed that the royal family will rule the State on behalf of Lord and he and his descendants would serve the Kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa or the servant of Lord Pamanabha. Since then the name of every Travancore King was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa, while the female were called Padmanabha sevinis. The donation of the Kingdom of Travancore to Padmanabhaswamy was known as "Thripadidanam". He died on the 7th of July 1758 and he is credited with the title of "Maker of modern Travancore"(need to know more, visit wikipedia web site), his nephew Darma Raja was his successor. From Marthanda Varma to last King Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Travancore had 12 Kings and 49 Divans, sum ruled Kerala also.

          In the year 1947 August 15 India got Independence. Later 1949 Travancore and Cochin Kings decide to merge both regions with the support of first Indian Home and Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. On 1 July 1949, the State of Travancore- Cochin (Thiru- Kochi) was established, Trivandrum as the capital and the Maharaja of Travancore as the "Rajapramukh" of the new State.  The Maharaja of Cochin was offered to be addressed as "Uparaja Pramukh", but he did not want any title after handing over the power. He gave up royal power unconditionally for the "good of the people" and he said he needs a free panchangam (a book which usually deals with astrologically important event of a person's life) every year.

          Later they discussed about temple land and Kings "Privipazhse". Government took control of temple lands and allowed grand for that and Government made Travancore Devaswom board for Travancore temples and Cochin Devaswom board for Cochin temples and Government allowed grand for this Devaswom boards also. According to my reference book (Sree Chithira Thirunal by Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan) Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is not included in Travancore Devaswom board. They decide Sree Chithira Thirunal will choose one executive officer and that executive officer will control that temple administration. (Now Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple administration is in the hands of the Travancore Royal family).Then they decide Cochin Royal family will control Thrippunithura and Pazhayannur temple. Later both Kings signed agreement (Kavanant).

          On the 1st of November 1956 we created Kerala State on the basis of language, Travancore-Cochin (Thiru- Kochi) and parts of Malabar, which was part of Madras Province, also merged to form for this new State. In this process we lost sum taluks in Southern Travancore. According to report we didn't change or made any new laws for these three temples. So now you know who is the owner for this huge treasure, Travancore-Cochin (Thiru- Kochi) People are the real owners for this treasure.

                                                                             Shaju.V.T.