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In 2011, which Indian temple was reported to be the richest in the world after the discovery of huge treasures in its vaults?
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Answer: Option A — Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Detailed Solution
The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, was widely reported to be the richest temple in the world in 2011, after an enormous treasure was found in its underground vaults.
About the discovery:
- In 2011, on the orders of the Supreme Court of India, a committee opened the temple's secret vaults (kallaras), named A to F.
- They found an enormous treasure of gold coins, gold idols, jewellery, precious stones (diamonds, rubies and emeralds), and other valuable items, collected over centuries.
- The value of the treasure from five vaults was estimated at more than 1 lakh crore rupees (about 22 billion US dollars at that time), and some estimates of its antique value were much higher.
- Among the items was a gold idol of Vishnu studded with precious stones, and a huge gold chain.
- "Vault B" has not been opened, because of religious beliefs and legal disputes; it is believed to be sealed with a "Naga Bandham" (serpent spell) and guarded by snakes, according to local belief.
- In 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of the temple.
About the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple:
- It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as "Padmanabhaswamy", in the "Anantha Shayanam" posture (reclining on the serpent Anantha/Adisesha).
- The main idol is about 18 feet long and is seen through three doors: the face, the navel (with a lotus and Brahma) and the feet.
- The idol is made of "Katusarkara Yogam", a special mixture of 108 natural substances, with 12,008 "salagramams" (sacred stones) inside it.
- It is one of the 108 "Divya Desams" (holy shrines of Vishnu) praised by the Alvar saints.
It was rebuilt in the 18th century by Maharaja Marthanda Varma of Travancore. In 1750, he dedicated his kingdom to the deity ("Thrippadidanam") and ruled as "Padmanabha Dasa" (servant of Padmanabha).
It is built in a blend of the Kerala and Dravidian styles, with a seven-storey gateway tower.
The city's name "Thiruvananthapuram" means "the city of Lord Anantha".
Only Hindus may enter, and there is a strict dress code.
Other very rich temples of India:
- Tirumala Venkateswara Temple (Andhra Pradesh): the richest in terms of annual income and donations.
- Shirdi Sai Baba Temple (Maharashtra), Vaishno Devi (Jammu and Kashmir), Golden Temple (Amritsar) and Siddhivinayak (Mumbai).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Tirumala receives the largest donations, but the 2011 vault discovery made Padmanabhaswamy the richest in reported assets.
- ✗Shirdi Sai Baba Temple is wealthy but was not the one reported in 2011.
- ✗Vaishno Devi Temple is wealthy but was not the one reported in 2011.
Quick tip
Remember: richest temple (2011 vault discovery) = Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram (Vishnu reclining on Anantha; Vault B unopened; Marthanda Varma's "Thrippadidanam" 1750; Travancore royal family's rights upheld 2020).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.