HC tells Kerala govt to take over landmark temple

The order was given by a division bench which heard a batch of petitions on the management of the temple which is presently maintained by the Travancore royal family. The court observed that the royal family had no right on the 16th century temple since there was no king or kingdom anymore.

The court wanted the government to complete the takeover in three months and also post an honest official to take stock of the precious items of the temple. The royal family is expected to move the Supreme Court against the order.

The deity of Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple which is in the heart of the capital city is Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture called Ananthasayanam or eternal sleep. The very name Thiruvananthapuram owes itself to the deity.

The temple has a 100-foot  seven-tier “gopuram” and a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with elaborate carvings. The legend goes that the Maharaja of Travancore dedicated his kingdom to the deity and pledged that his descendants would serve the kingdom as “Padmanabha dasas”.