Context

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has declined a plea filed by Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trust seeking to exempt it from the audit of 25 years as ordered by the court last year (2020).

About

About Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

• The temple dates back to the 8th century but the present structure was built in the 18th century by the then Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma.
• Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. 
• Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of 108 Divya Desams (holy abodes of Vishnu) - principal centres of worship of the deity in Vaishnavism. 
  • The temple gave its name to Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram.
• Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the richest shrines in the world, has 6 underground vaults called Vault A, Vault B, Vault C, Vault D, Vault E and Vault F. 
  • These vaults are also called chambers, which are full of royal treasure worth in billions.
  • Padmanabha Swamy Temple has chambers that consist of royal treasure.

The Issue

• The temple had been at the centre of a tussle over its control for decades.
• The dispute was finally resolved in 2020 when the Supreme Court overturned a 2011 decision by the Kerala High Court.
  • Kerala HC handed responsibility for its administration to the state government and restored the status of the royals as the shebaits, or servitors, of the temple.
• But the case also brought the temple’s finances and wealth into the spotlight.
• The apex court has now ruled that the trust, too, is to be audited for the 25-year period.