(Image source: India Daily News)

BY LEXA DECKERT

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy.

What’s behind curtain number one?
How about twenty billion dollars worth of treasure -- and counting.
That’s the big find at a temple in Kerala, India.
Fox News has details on the treasure and its discovery...


“The valuables were donated to the temple by devotees over hundreds of years, and India's erstwhile royal family has been the custodian of the treasures... The secret vaults were opened and the treasures inventoried after a lawyer went to court with doubts about temple security.”


Of course -- now that the giant stock of treasure is out of the bag -- the question is, what to do with it?


“Police have been posted to guard the temple day and night to stop looters getting their hands on the tons of gold coins and jewelry. However in a country where 450 million people live in poverty a fierce debate is underway about what to do with the new-found wealth." (Euronews)


Opening the vault -- called Vault A -- has made Sree Padmanabha Swamy the most valuable temple in the country. Other vaults in the temple have been opened for special occasions before -- but never vaults A -- or B.
And India’s Mail Today reports -- one source would rather vault B remain closed...


“Vault B has the model of a snake on the main door, which is a clear indication that it should not be opened because opening the door might be a bad omen. I don’t think the team can open it because there is a lot of faith attached to the temple...”


Those who think the vaults shouldn't be opened argue - the riches belong to the gods, not men. Pictures and video have not been allowed out of respect, but Yentha describes some of the treasures...

“...a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds has left the panel speechless...One interesting find was the two golden coconuts, of which one was studded with rare antique stones. The ante chamber further exposed a 30 kg golden necklace as long as 15 feet...”


Because some of the treasure were once taxes the people of Kerala paid to kings, some people think the money should be given back to the people. Commodity Online quotes one such blogger...


“All the golden treasures should be sold at good market value, and the money should be used to build good road, an Express Highway, good water transport and other infrastructure projects to make Kerala (Care-uh-la) to come up as a top state in India...”


But NDTV reports-- India’s government doesn’t seem to feel the same way.


REPORTER: “Demands for charity aside, the state government has made it clear it will not interfere in matters of faith.”
PERSON: “The government has a very clear stand. The wealth belongs to this temple so the state will not interfere with that.”


Another idea for the temple treasure -- is to put it on display.
The Economic Times reports Kerala’s director of museums thinks the state capital deserves a museum and says...


“‘Future generations must see it, and that is the duty of this generation...Some of the [treasures] are not essential items for temple rituals and can be displayed for future generations to learn history and for research purposes...”
 

The Associated Press reports the initial inventory from the vaults is valued at about $22 billion- but that estimate is likely to climb as the treasure is examined.
 

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