Devaprasnam at Kerala temple begins on Monday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as a decision is yet to be taken on the opening of vault ‘B’ of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the temple authorities have decided to perform Devaprasnam from Monday. The sudden decision has caught devotees off guard and has given rise to speculations.The three-day Devaprasnam will begin at 8.30 am on the temple premises.The Supreme Court-appointed expert committee, led by Vice-Chancellor of the National Museum Institute C V Ananda Bose, was not consulted on the issue on the grounds that the Devaprasnam was fundamentally a religious matter.Devaprasnam is an astrological ritual traditionally performed to know the will of the deity.But the way the decision was taken, even as the SC-appointed committee was to meet again on August 10 for further discussions on the temple issue, has raised many an eyebrow.The head of the Travancore royal family Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma is learnt to have consulted the temple tantris on Saturday morning, after which the Devaprasnam was finalised.The ritual will be performed under the supervision of temple tantri Karananelloor Parameswaran Namboothiripad.However, the executive officer of the temple Harikumar was unavailable for comment.Meanwhile, it has been pointed out that performing the Devaprasnam now would be inappropriate as issues related to the opening of vault ‘B’ and even the Devaprasnam itself were being considered by the Supreme Court.Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma in his affidavit before the apex court had pointed out the need for a Devaprasnam.The court verdict is pending.“The decision is hasty and suspicious,’’ said advocate TP Anandapadmanabhan, nephew of late T P Sundarrajan who had filed the petition seeking an assessment of the temple riches. "The matter is sub judice,’’ he added.