New Delhi: Resolving a decade-old dispute over the administration of one of the richest temples in the world, the Supreme Court Monday upheld the right of the Travancore royal family to manage the property of deity at Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.
The court said that, as per customary law, the shebait rights survive with the members of the family even after the death of the last ruler. However, it ordered the constitution of a supervisory committee headed by district judge of Thiruvananthapuram for the daily management of the temple.
The committee will have only Hindus as its members. It will decide on the question of unlocking Vault B, a large mysterious chamber in the temple which has remained untouched on account of lore that its opening will spell doom for whoever opens it.
The family called the decision “not a victory”, but a blessing from Lord Padmanabha.
Read the full judgment here:
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