THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Until Friday, the opening of the vaults inside the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple was a matter of curiosity. But from Friday morning, after the whole world knew it had a treasure trove inside, which makes Lord Padmanabha the richest deity in the country, it has become a matter of security concern. So much so that the few guardsmen belonging to the temple, who had stood guard for the Lord over the years wearing a yellow dhoti round their waist and holding a stick, have given way to police personnels in hundreds, both in uniform and in ‘mafti’. But even that would not be enough, going by the dramatic scenes which unfolded in front of the temple’s south gate on Friday evening. It was for the first time that tense moments prevailed in front of the temple, ever since the preparation of inventory began on Monday, signaling to the fact that not just the treasure but the people involved would require protection. Moments before the seven-member committee came out of the door, a man could be seen shouting at the top of his voice, asking the crowd why no one reacted to the “unruly act of the government and of the court”.“Why are you allowing them to have their way with the Lord and his assets? Don’t you have spine?,” he could be heard asking. The man was later identified as a Sivasena activist.
Comments
0 comment