Settling a nine-year-old dispute, the Supreme Court upholds the Travancore royal family rights in the administration and management of the historic and richest temple of the country, Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. The bench had directed in its judgment that the Thiruvanatpuram district judge will look into the temple arrangements from now onwards.
“Great God’s will prevailed. Will say more about it after going through whole verdict,” stated Princess Gowri Lakshmibai.
The top court subverts the 2011 judgment of Kerala High Court which ruled that the state government will take over the charge of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple from the trust headed by the Travancore royal family.
The bench headed by Justice UU Lalit took the decision while hearing various pleas filed against Kerala High Court’s January 31, 2011 verdict to transfer the control of management and assets of the temple to state government.
The court directed that the system will remain in place till the time a proper committee is formed and Travancore royal family will hold an important role in the committee.
The matter was pending before top court from past nine years in connection to the controversy over the administration and management of the temple and its assets in wake of the alleged financial irregularities.
Travancore Royal house rebuilt the sprawling temple, an architectural splendour in granite in the 18th century, and had ruled the Southern Kerala and adjoining parts of the Tamil Nadu before 1947’s integration of princely states with the Indian Union.
Last year on April 10, a bench of Justices U U Lalit and Indu Malhotra had reserved its order on the petitions filed against Kerala HC’s 2011 judgment.
Supreme Court had stayed the High court’s order to take over the assets and management control of the temple on May 2, 2011.
The temple controversy came in limelight in 2011 after an inspection revealed that four underground cellars of the temple contain gold vessels, jewels, ornaments, and precious stones worth thousands of crores of rupees.
