Kerala’s Padmanabha Swamy temple was founded by Maharaja Marthanda Varma . Work on the temple started in 1731 and was completed almost 19 years later. Marthanda Varma annexed all the adjacent smaller kingdoms to create what is today called Kerala. Each of the smaller principalities was headed by a rajah and when he annexed their kingdoms, he took away their gold and precious stones.

Marthanda Varma dedicated his kingdom to Lord Padmanabha, who became the presiding deity of the kingdom. Varma then assumed the title Padmanabhadasa or the servant of Lord Padmanabha and offered all thewealth that he had accumulated to the deity. From that day onwards, the rulers of Travancore carried out all their princely and spiritual duties as the servants of the Lord.Padmanabha.

Subsequently, over the years, the temple continued to receive large donations and treasures in offerings from different kings. All this wealth was seen as an offering to the deity . It was a wonderful concept because the rajah ruled for the good of the people and could not personally posses more than a certain amount of wealth.

It was a wonderful concept because it was done to enhance the glory and power of the deity under whose protection the kingdom was governed. My grandmother was the Maharani of Travancore between 1922-32. She also saw herself as being a custodian of this wealth because these were offerings made to the deity. When the rulership of Travancore passed on to her nephew in 1932, he continued with the same traditions. Whoever was the ruler in all these years remained a custodian because the treasure belonged to the temple.

My family very strongly believes this treasure should be kept in a high security museum within the temple premises so that people can see it. Like the Crown Jewls kept in the Tower of London, the state government can charge a fee and the monies accrued from this can be used for the upliftment of the poor.

We believe the treasure should not remain buried underground. But we also believe it should remain with the Lord and not be taken away from the premises. There are objects of great antiquity. I believe this whole thing should be allowed to remain intact and left for historians to evaluate. All this antiquity represent the customs and culture of people over different periods of times.

We knew there was a treasure in the temple but no one has ever tried to infringe on it. Nor did any of us voice any curiosity about it. It was given as a trust by the different kings and therefore it should remain within the temple.

Our family is going to present a petition both to the chief minister and the Supreme Court to set up a museum to allow people to see it because they will then understand just how much wealth and beauty this country possessed over the centuries.

On the question of whether the other vaults should be opened, I am of the opinion they should not be opened. One of the vaults opens up to an escape route that let to the sea. The sea, we believe is underneath the temple, over which the temple structure has been built.. There are several underground caves which are filled with sea water in high tide and one can hear the sea when one is inside the temple.

This is what makes this temple so incredible. There is no temple like this anywhere in the world.