India Halts Opening of Temple Treasure Vault
时间：2011-07-09 08:01:40
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India's Supreme1 Court, citing security concerns, has halted the opening of the last vault2 at a Hindu temple where billions of dollars worth of treasures have been uncovered.
More than $20 billion in gold, jewels, and ancient artifacts were found buried last week in
vaults3 underneath4 the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in India's southern state of Kerala.
On Friday, the Supreme Court asked the state government and the former royal family, who are trustees of the temple, for suggestions on how to ensure its security.
Indian authorities have
deployed5 hundreds of special armed police around the temple and set up metal
detectors6 at the entrance.
The 16th century temple, which is
devoted7 to the Hindu god Vishnu, was once the royal worshipping place for the former rulers of then-kingdom Travancore.
During Friday's hearing, a lawyer for the former royal family (K.K. Venugopal) said the treasure belongs to the Hindu
deity8 and that the family is not claiming any ownership.
The former royal family opposes a petition by the Kerala state government to take over the temple.
The Supreme Court has already instructed a team of
investigators9 to take a formal
inventory10 of the find, which includes precious artifacts documenting centuries of trade and worship in southern India. The court has also ordered a curator be appointed to suggest ways to preserve the treasure.
Wealthy temples are not
uncommon11 in India, where patrons and devotees have made offerings for centuries.
Discussions of what to do with the temple's massive wealth already have started. Some are suggesting the treasures be displayed in a museum, while others say money from the find should be used to help the poor.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)
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