About $22 Billion In Gold, Diamonds, Jewels Found In Indian Temple

[Tekki]

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011...1309891056&s=3

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/...le?sc=fb&cc=fp

In Southern India a story that sounds like the plot line of a Hollywood adventure is unfolding. Over the past week, on orders from the country's Supreme Court, a panel has found a treasure estimated to be worth $22 billion in the underground vaults of a Hindu temple in Trivandrum, India.

The AP reports:

Inside the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, investigators were counting the staggering hoard of gold coins and statues of gods and goddesses studded with diamonds and other precious stones. Outside, small groups of armed policemen patrolled the temple grounds in the heart of the Kerala state capital, Trivandrum.

Metal detectors were hurriedly installed at temple entrances after six days of searches revealed a treasure trove of artifacts, statues and temple ornaments made of gold and embellished with jewels.

The valuables were donated to the temple by devotees over hundreds of years, and India's erstwhile royal family has been the custodian of the treasures.

The vaults had not been opened in about 150 years and the treasure spans some 500 years. India's Supreme Court ordered that the vaults of the temple be inventoried after a man filed a suit that worried about how the trust was caring for the riches.

In some ways, that's where the story gets interesting. With the find, India is in the middle of a heated discussion about what rights to afford former royalty and what should happen to riches like these that include historic pieces destined for museums. The Christian Science Monitor offers a condescend family history:

The temple is controlled by descendants of the royal family of Travancore, the former princely state of the region. It is believed the former rulers donated much of their wealth to the temple, where it lay in safe keeping for decades. Offerings by the many worshippers making pit stops there along the global trade routes probably also contributed to the treasure.

It was no stumbled-upon find, however. While the vaults have been kept under lock and key for around 150 years, the wealth has been on the public record.

Still, $22 billion (yes, billion with a "B") is a lot of money. We wondered why it wasn't put to use. The Hindu newspaper reports that the royal family ruled Travancore as "padmanabha dasasas," which means they were servants of the temple's deity. The BBC explains a bit better in between some legal history:

The Supreme Court stayed a ruling by the high court in Kerala, which ordered the state government to take over the temple and its assets from the royal trust. It also ordered the trust to hand over responsibility for the temple's security to the police.

The members of the Travancore royal family entrusted their wealth to the temple because they consider themselves to be servants of its presiding deity. The deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is considered by devotees to be an aspect of the Hindu God Vishnu in eternal sleep.

But there was a public outcry when the Maharajah attempted to retain control of the temple by citing a special law, with many arguing that the wealth belonged to the people now.

The panel appointed by the Supreme Court has opened five of the six vaults. The panel managed to open the sixth vault but found an iron wall inside it, reports the BBC. As if the story couldn't get any weirder, The Hindustan Times reports the sixth vault has a snake on the front door and quoting an unnamed royal family source, it reports that opening it "might be a bad omen."

The Guardian reports that the sixth vault has "special locks" but experts should be able to examine them and open it by Friday. The Guardian also reports that the inventory is being conducted under the watch of police, but no pictures or video of the vaults will be taken or released because it "is strictly prohibited" within a "sacred space."

Update at 2:43 p.m. ET. On The Value Of The Treasure:

As we said, $22 billion is an almost unimaginable number. But that is likely a conservative estimate. The Hindu reports that the panel is simple counting and weighing the valuables. "Their value, including antique value, is not being assessed," The Hindu reports.

Holy Shit

[Lovex]

FINDERS KEEPERS?

NOPE!

[Pirian]

22billion? This morning they were saying 2 billion, lol. They also said that they won't know how much that is down there until they take an inventory, which isn't happening for a while, and all estimates are based on "just looking at it". Not to say that there isn't a shitload there, but they don't know how much is there. Also, they said they have no plans on cashing out, and that it will just be inventoried and then sealed back up in the vaults

[Pirian]

Also, fuck the mod that deleted my sig

[guartz]

okay screw the treasure, I wanna know whats behind the specially sealed snake door.

hindu snake god shall be awoken?

This is how many of my pcs die in dungeons.

[Mertron]

theres like a billion people in india, give everyone twenty bucks

[*Shinzon*]

Omw to india. Just have to sneak by the military guarding the joint.

[Fhloston]

okay screw the treasure, I wanna know whats behind the specially sealed snake door.

hindu snake god shall be awoken?

This is how many of my pcs die in dungeons.

This. I kinda feel that they should just leave it alone, but my curiosity would kill me. Think I read they're trying to open it by Friday. Who's down for a raid on the snake god Saturday?

[Thoronas]

That is an amazing story.

I wonder though if the value of gold and jewels is going to suddenly be diminished because a large part of this treasure trove is more then likely going to the open market. lol

[miokomioko]

The door is going to open and then they will peek insi-

http://initforthekills.files.wordpre...eltingnazi.jpg

[ronin sparthos]

Sounds like some Lara Croft shit. lol

[guartz]

This. I kinda feel that they should just leave it alone, but my curiosity would kill me. Think I read they're trying to open it by Friday. Who's down for a raid on the snake god Saturday?

I'm down.
Bring poison resistance gear.

[Ramzii]

[weeaboo]damn, so the indians had one piece [/weeaboo]

[Atreides]

holy shit, does no one in India watch horror films? Don't open the fucking snake door

[miokomioko]

I, for one, welcome our multi-armed/multi-headed snake-god overlords.

OPEN THE DOOR

[Uzor]

Taking bets on what's inside.

A grave.

[Kurokikaze]

A grave and probably some traps.

Speaking of which... Waiting for the self-destruct or cover up trap that buries the entire site along with its riches.

[Jememy]

Sounds like the right place for the rootenest most tootenest Indian Temple Casino this side of the Atlantic.

[Surealistic]

IT COULD BE A BOAT

[Drex]

Suddenly, kinetic military action against India