Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Treasure estimated at $10 Billion found in secret vaults in Indian temple
Times of India ^ | 2 july 2011

Posted on 07/01/2011 8:54:57 PM PDT by cold start

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The legend of El Dorado was definitely not set on the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple. But the seven-member panel, which is drawing up a list of assets at the famed shrine here, had a feel of the lost city of gold as they set foot in one of the two secret vaults located inside the sprawling granite structure which gives the Kerala capital its name.

On Thursday, the team assisted by personnel from the fire services and archeology department opened the locks of vault A to find a narrow flight of stairs leading down to an underground granite cellar. Oxygen was pumped frequently into the chamber and artificial lighting provided to enable the observers to work inside.

What they saw inside was startling, sources said. Gold coins dating back thousands of years, gold necklaces as long as nine feet and weighing about 2.5 kg, about one tonne of the yellow metal in the shape of rice trinkets, sticks made of the yellow metal, sack full of diamonds, gold ropes, thousands of pieces of antique jewellery studded with diamonds and emeralds, crowns and other precious stones lay scattered in the chamber marked 'A'.

Friday threw up far more surprises in the form of 17 kg of gold coins dating back to the East India Company period, 18 coins from Napolean's era, precious stones wrapped in silk bundles besides over 1,000 kg of gold in the form of coins and trinkets and a small elephant made of the yellow metal, sources said.

There were also sovereigns bearing the 1772 seal indicating they were from the reign of the then native king Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma. There are a total of six vaults marked A to F in the shrine. The A and B cellars have never opened since 1872.

Reports said the value of the recoveries so far from vault A alone may exceed over Rs 50,000 crore. This doesn't take into account their antique value. With chamber B, yet to be opened, speculation was rife that the shrine would pip Tirupati Balaji, who too has been assessed at a little more than Rs 50,000 crore to a distant second. No official confirmation has been forthcoming on the value of the recoveries.

Retired Kerala high court judges — Justice M N Krishnan and Justice C S Rajan — appointed observers by the Supreme Court said, ''It's difficult to give an exact date about when the stock-taking would be completed. The B and E vaults remain to be opened. We think it may take another week.''

Asked about the value of the assets, Justice Krishnan said the committee was drawing up the inventory of items and were not determining their price. The panel had set out on the job on June 27 and opened three vaults marked C, D and F till Wednesday. Assets found in these chambers were estimated to be worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

The wealth discovery has raised questions on the shrine's security. As of now, the internal security is managed by the temple employees, but this may be inadequate in the light of the events.

GOD'S OWN BOOTY

* Gold coins dating back thousands of years, gold necklaces as long as 9 feet and weighing 2.5 kg; one tonne of gold in the shape of rice trinkets; sticks made of gold, sack full of diamonds, gold ropes and thousands of pieces of jewellery studded with diamonds and emeralds

* 17 kg of gold coins dating back to the East India Company period; 18 coins from Napolean's era, precious stones wrapped in silk bundles besides over 1,000 kg of gold in form of coins and trinkets and a small elephant made of gold

* The value of recoveries from vault A alone may exceed over Rs 50,000 cr. With chamber B yet to be opened, speculation is rife the shrine would pip Tirupati Balaji's assets, which too has been assessed at over Rs 50,000 crore


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: archaeology; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; history; india; temple; treasure
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 07/01/2011 8:55:00 PM PDT by cold start
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: cold start

4.5 crore = $1 million
50,000 crores = $10.1 billion


2 posted on 07/01/2011 8:56:47 PM PDT by cold start
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cold start
India is famous for seizing stuff like this. The tax man cometh.

The Supreme Court also endorsed 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.

3 posted on 07/01/2011 8:57:41 PM PDT by Palter (Celebrate diversity .22, .223, .25, 9mm, .32 .357, 10mm, .44, .45, .500)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cold start

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13994351

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/a-series-of-vaults-within-an-indian-holy-temple-will-be-opened-after-being-sealed-to-prevent-theft-by-the-british/story-e6frg6so-1226085636892

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sc-ordered-treasure-hunt-puts-fairy-tales-in-shade/441265/


4 posted on 07/01/2011 8:58:09 PM PDT by cold start
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cold start

I’ve read the value at being $500M. It gets to a point where you can value something.


5 posted on 07/01/2011 8:59:08 PM PDT by Palter (Celebrate diversity .22, .223, .25, 9mm, .32 .357, 10mm, .44, .45, .500)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cold start; SunkenCiv

Interesting gold find in India.


6 posted on 07/01/2011 8:59:17 PM PDT by exit82 (Democrats are the enemy of freedom. Sarah Palin is our Esther.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

ch-ching ping


7 posted on 07/01/2011 8:59:48 PM PDT by SteveH (First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: cold start
???
8 posted on 07/01/2011 9:03:06 PM PDT by Brandonmark (2012: Our Hope IS Change!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cold start

That should just about cover Obama’s vacation costs. Too bad it in India.


9 posted on 07/01/2011 9:03:46 PM PDT by garjog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cold start

where do I send my claim form??


10 posted on 07/01/2011 9:06:16 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Palter

Think that was an early estimate. Another vault has subsequently been opened on friday & the $10 billion figure is what is now being widely reported. In any case, such instant valuations need to be taken with more than a pinch of salt. However the amount of gold found there does indicate a substantial value to the findings.


11 posted on 07/01/2011 9:09:18 PM PDT by cold start
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Palter
India is famous for seizing stuff like this. The tax man cometh.

Better the Indian tax man now than British back then, I guess - maybe some of this stuff will end up in Indian museums where it belongs.
12 posted on 07/01/2011 9:23:32 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: cold start

Heraldo is SO pissed!


13 posted on 07/01/2011 9:36:18 PM PDT by CrazyIvan (Obama's birth certificate was found stapled to Soros's receipt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

Local rumors indicate sightings of an anglican wearing dusty clothes, wide-brim hat, and a bullwhip being pusued by Nazis.


14 posted on 07/01/2011 9:42:42 PM PDT by ak267
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: cold start

Eat your heart out, King Tut.


15 posted on 07/01/2011 9:50:45 PM PDT by El Sordo (The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ak267

Ha!


16 posted on 07/01/2011 9:51:54 PM PDT by El Sordo (The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: cold start

Amazing that a stash like this exists where families live on a certain piece of sidewalk, and a sacred cow can walk into your house and eat what little food you have....


17 posted on 07/01/2011 9:54:05 PM PDT by Bean Counter (Your what hurts??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cold start

And yet generations and generations of Indians have lived in squalor.


18 posted on 07/01/2011 10:05:04 PM PDT by Slump Tester (What if I'm pregnant Teddy? Errr-ahh -Calm down Mary Jo, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: exit82; SteveH

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach ·
· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·

 
 Antiquity Journal
 & archive
 Archaeologica
 Archaeology
 Archaeology Channel
 BAR
 Bronze Age Forum
 Discovery
 Dogpile
 Eurekalert
 Google
 LiveScience
 Mirabilis.ca
 Nat Geographic
 PhysOrg
 Science Daily
 Science News
 Texas AM
 Yahoo
 Excerpt, or Link only?
 


Thanks exit82 and SteveH.

I am positive we've had a topic about this, and if not, it was another temple in India with a hidden stash of gold. And it wasn't that long ago. But anyway, thanks again, I would ping this, but I'm going to do the digest, and everyone will see the link that way.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword ·
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·


19 posted on 07/01/2011 10:20:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's the Obamacare, stupid! -- Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
etc.

‘Hidden treasure' worth Rs. 90 crore found in Puri's Emar Mutt[India][[18 Tons]

20 posted on 07/01/2011 10:33:35 PM PDT by Palter (Celebrate diversity .22, .223, .25, 9mm, .32 .357, 10mm, .44, .45, .500)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson