Committee to wait till Thursday for SC verdict

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seven-member committee will wait till Thursday, until the Supreme Court gives a go-ahead, to take a decision regarding the opening of vault B in the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple. The committee, which met in the absence of a member, Justice C S Rajan, who had received flak from the Supreme Court for making open comments regarding the treasure trove in the temple, will again meet after the Court verdict on the matter is out. On Friday, as decided, the committee members met in the afternoon only to complete the formalities entrusted with it. Archives Director Rejikumar, who could not make it to the meeting, was represented by Archaeological Survey of India Superintending Archaeologist Nambi Rajan. The members communicated the Supreme Court directive that came in the morning restricting opening of vault B until further orders among themselves and decided to put off everything until the Court clears the air. The Supreme Court has asked the royal family to furnish details on the temple’s rituals and customs. It has also asked the State Government to submit the details on the security plans for the temple. Though an interim report was expected to be submitted by the committee members to the Court, it might be postponed, considering the further hearing of the matter by the Supreme Court. The Travancore royal family had moved the Supreme Court saying that the documentation of the treasure (both photography and videography) would be in violation of the temple’s rituals. It is in this context that the Court has asked the royal family to furnish a detailed report on the rituals and customs associated with the temple. The Court has also asked the State Government to present the details of security measures to be adopted in the temple and on its premises. The Court has allowed the opening of the small vaults E and F where articles for daily use are stored thereby laying the worries of the Temple Trust about hindrance to the temple rituals to rest.