'Blessing by lord Padmanabha', says Travancore Royal family member after SC's verdict on Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Jul 13, 2020
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 13 : After Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the royal family member Aswathy Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi hailed the verdict as a 'blessing' by lord Padmanabha.
"Don't consider this as a victory of the royal family. We are perceiving this as a blessing by lord Padmanabha to all his devotees. We express our gratitude to everyone who was going through the pain and hardships," said Gouri Lakshmi Bayi.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
Allowing the appeal filed by members of the Travancore family, the apex court observed that the death of the Travancore ruler, who signed the covenant, does not affect the rights of the Shebaitship Travancore family over the temple and it will survive as per the customs.
A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit, as an interim arrangement, approved a committee under Thiruvananthapuram District Judge to oversee the administration to manage the affairs of the temple till the constitution of a new committee.
The last ruler of Travancore, until his death on July 20, 1991, continued to manage the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple by virtue of powers conferred on him. The issue had reached the court in the wake of charges of alleged financial irregularities.
The top court's judgement came on a batch of petitions challenging a Kerala High Court's order dated January 31, 2011, which had directed the state government to take steps to set up a body or trust to take control of the temple, its assets and management.
The century-old Vishnu temple was traditionally managed by the temple's heirs, former Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma, for more than 1,000 years.
