Padmanabhaswamy Temple treasure
The Padmanabhaswamy temple treasure is a collection of valuable objects including gold thrones, crowns, coins, statues and ornaments, diamonds and other precious stones. It was discovered in some of the subterranean vaults of the Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram the Indian state of Kerala, when five of its six (or possibly eight) vaults were opened on 27 June 2011. The vaults were opened on the orders of the Supreme Court of India, which was hearing a private petition seeking transparency in the running of the temple.[1] The discovery of the treasure attracted widespread national and international media attention as it is considered to be the largest collection of items of gold and precious stones in the recorded history of the world.[2][3][4][5] On the possibility of future appropriation of the wealth, for the need of a new management and proper inventorisation of the articles in the vaults, a public interest petition was registered with Supreme court of India. In 2020, the royal family won the rights to manage the temple, as well all its financial aspects. The Supreme court of India overruled the Kerala High Courts legal jurisprudence based on regional facts and recognition of nullified princely agreement based on "Ruler of Travancore."
The temple management authorities were aware of the existence of at least six vaults. They situated underground, all around, and to the west of the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple. For documentation purposes, these vaults have been designated as vaults A, B, C, D, E and F. Subsequently, two more further subterranean vaults have been discovered since, and they have been designated as Vault G and Vault H.[6][7]
