Set up museum of temple treasure

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple Employees’ Union has said that the devotees must be given the opportunity to set eyes on the treasure trove which has now been disclosed in the vaults inside the temple. In a meeting of the union held on Tuesday, they said that a museum must be set up in the temple showcasing select items found in the vaults like the ‘thanka anki’ and Lord’s jewellery.The meeting, chaired by patron of the union Cherunniyur Sasidharan Nair, enlightened the employees in the temple of the huge responsibility that has come upon them in view of the discovery of the treasure inside. The workers must be alert throughout the day and at night hours too, the meeting observed. The union, which claims to be the only recognised one associated with the Temple, had moved the court along with the petitioner T P Sundar Rajan, which had finally resulted in the Supreme Court directive to take stock of the items inside the vaults in the temple. The meeting has asked the authorities to take action to ensure security of the valuable treasure and to allow more ‘darshan’ time to devotees. More employees must be recruited in the wake of the more responsibilities that have come up. The union said in a press release here that the gold and silver ware found in the vaults were submitted to the Lord as offering by the devotees. They cannot be measured or valued. For the devotees, they are not mere showcase pieces, but a way to achieve inner harmony by setting their eyes upon them, the statement said. The union said that the rumours spreading around related to the treasure must not be allowed to spread as the topic is sub judice. With the global media and devotees from the whole country flocking to the Temple to get a glimpse of the Lord’s treasure, all arrangements in the form of security must be geared up, the meeting said.