[Discussion] Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, India.

[Jinrou]

Apologies if i spelt the name of the temple wrong.

I recently watched a documentary on this here temple and it was extremely fascinating. A few years ago, archaeologists were tasked with opening secret chambers found in this temple and were able to open all but one..A Chamber B.

Try as they might, chamber B could not be opened. The door of chamber B is described as an Iron door with a portrait of two cobras carved into it, no visible locks or hinges and is strongly believed to be locked from the inside.

According to the documentary, the keepers of the temple stated and warned that according to the inscriptions on the door and the portrait of the cobras, the door could only be opened by chanting a 'Garuda mantra' and any other method of trying to open it could result in natural disasters either occurring in the temple, the whole of India and perhaps the world itself. Problem is the 'Garuda Mantra' is a lost chant(language) according to the doc.

Intrigued by the whole story, i decided to use the net to discover more but i was left confused and conflicted..I saw a report from 2013 stating that it's been opened and they found a black metal with 6 fair complexioned mummified (first of the kind as mummies aren't fair at all) remains surrounding it and also that most members of the archaeological team died mysterious deaths within a month of opening it..

Then i also saw another report from 2014 stating it hasn't been opened yet and that people who have placed their ears to the door have heard gushing water sounds, hissing sounds (perhaps made by snakes) and low frequency vibrations (The Hum) from beyond the door.

The differing accounts could perhaps be a result of the Indian government (as i watched and read) trying to keep the whole thing under wraps but...... i really want to know more and so i'm here looking to see if our NB Indian residents or any other person who has an idea of the most current developments regarding Chamber B could fill me in on them? Please?

 

[Jazzy Stardust]

im sorry, i have no idea and have never been to India. though i will go one day

if you are curious though and really want to know, maybe this can be a fun travel goal. i mean this is exactly how an Uncharted game starts or an Indiana Jones movie. you have an unsolved mystery in a foreign country with some info and you want more, maybe you could even do like a indie documentary where you try and uncover the secret

 

[Jinrou]

im sorry, i have no idea and have never been to India. though i will go one day

if you are curious though and really want to know, maybe this can be a fun travel goal. i mean this is exactly how an Uncharted game starts or an Indiana Jones movie. you have an unsolved mystery in a foreign country with some info and you want more, maybe you could even do like a indie documentary where you try and uncover the secret

It's okay..lol figured it'll be a stretch any ways. The Uncharted reference though xD I didn't even think of it that way. If i'm able to go sometime in my future, nothing is definitely stopping me xD Thanks btw

 

[Avani]

they found a black metal with 6 fair complexioned mummified (first of the kind as mummies aren't fair at all) remains surrounding it and also that most members of the archaeological team died mysterious deaths within a month of opening it..

Say what????? You are not referring to some

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news article, are you? Temple authorities say an anteroom was opened a few times but, Vault B itself wasn't.

One of the articles said that key for Vault B didn't work and forcing in open can cause structural damage.

‘I know what is in vault B. But what is the necessity for everyone to know about it?’-Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma(the head of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, and also the head of the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala)

“When I was 56 days old I was put on the temple floor as an offering. So I became a dasa (servant) of Padmnabhaswamy. I would never want anyone to question my Lord’s belongings,”- Varma

To be honest government shouldn't even have a right to force the temple management. It's private property and government already taxes Hindu temples without giving anything back and took away a lot of land area from temple dumping the constitutional right to property along the way.

 

[Deadlift]

Not gonna lie when I saw "black metal" I thought the temple got devastated by the Inner Circle XD

Thanks for sharing

 

[Natsu Shazneel]

im sorry, i have no idea and have never been to India. though i will go one day

if you are curious though and really want to know, maybe this can be a fun travel goal. i mean this is exactly how an Uncharted game starts or an Indiana Jones movie. you have an unsolved mystery in a foreign country with some info and you want more, maybe you could even do like a indie documentary where you try and uncover the secret

Lmfao I was thinking Uncharted when I first read this thread.

 

[Jinrou]

Say what????? You are not referring to some

You must be registered for see links

news article, are you? Temple authorities say an anteroom was opened a few times but, Vault B itself wasn't.

One of the articles said that key for Vault B didn't work and forcing in open can cause structural damage.

Oh wow..lmao. The article i actually read was dated 2013 and the one you linked doesn't have all the info it had.. i must say the same info they report is word for word though.

The article that mentions a key though, is it trustworthy? One thing that's similar in all the articles i read (2 or 3) is that the B chamber doesn't have locks and there are no visible hinges and its door can only be opened by casting/chanting the Garuda Mantra.

To be honest government shouldn't even have a right to force the temple management. It's private property and government already taxes Hindu temples without giving anything back and took away a lot of land area from temple dumping the constitutional right to property along the way.

That sucks..the documentary i saw didn't portray the temple as a private property but more of a government one. If it isn't too much, can i ask/request that you post a link to an article on the temple that you think has credibility?

Thank you for your opinion on this btw.

 

[Avani]

Oh wow..lmao. The article i actually read was dated 2013 and the one you linked doesn't have all the info it had.. i must say the same info they report is word for word though.

The article that mentions a key though, is it trustworthy? One thing that's similar in all the articles i read (2 or 3) is that the B chamber doesn't have locks and there are no visible hinges and its door can only be opened by casting/chanting the Garuda Mantra.



That sucks..the documentary i saw didn't portray the temple as a private property but more of a government one. If it isn't too much, can i ask/request that you post a link to an article on the temple that you think has credibility?

Thank you for your opinion on this btw.

Property invested in a temple belongs to the residing deity by law and is run by trustees on the presiding deity's behalf. There is a lot of politics going around and allegations and counter allegation with temple authorities trying to avoid government intervention.

So there are contradictory claims regarding seventh vault or Vault B - Temple authorities say only the antechamber was opened while government says Vault B was opened so it can be opened again. So there is a key although it maybe for ante chamber only.

Spoiler

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The door doesn't look very welcoming. People have claimed they hear hissing sounds or something similar which can be either snakes or water or both. There is another rumour that there is a tunnel behind it leading to sea as it's near sea-side. Some suspect the water will flood through it in the temple. However experts who studied the surroundings reject the claims.

While it all maybe rumours to put people with idle curiosity away and to avoid thieves or government scrutiny, it's not very unlikely if they indeed put something like snakes behind it once upon a time. For it's a lord Padmanabhan temple aka Lord Vishnu and he is said to be lying on a giant snake. You get too greedy and force open the last door and get bitten by snakes. There had a been a myth of snakes guarding ancient treasures in general.

I don't think it's been opened yet for I cannot find any news on it but another petition for opening the vault was moved earlier this

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It's a beautiful temple- Many of the south Indian temples are and they have their ancient mystique charm- colourful, grand, intricate designs and their own stories. Unfortunately it's been in the news for wrong reasons.

"....it is the glitter of the yellow metal that has dazzled the world. Only a minority will be interested in the historical aspect of the wealth. All the journalists who have come from all over the world have asked me questions only about the amount of wealth and the yellow metal and not the historical aspects."

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Can you give me the link where you read the news from 2013 of fair mummies? Although I am not surprised that there is a rumour like that going on either- I recently encountered many you-tube videos with similar claims for many ancient temples- suggesting they were made by aliens or that proof of alien colonies is lying under them all. :|

 

[Jinrou]

Property invested in a temple belongs to the residing deity by law and is run by trustees on the presiding deity's behalf. There is a lot of politics going around and allegations and counter allegation with temple authorities trying to avoid government intervention.

So there are contradictory claims regarding seventh vault or Vault B - Temple authorities say only the antechamber was opened while government says Vault B was opened so it can be opened again. So there is a key although it maybe for ante chamber only.

Spoiler

You must be registered for see images

The door doesn't look very welcoming. People have claimed they hear hissing sounds or something similar which can be either snakes or water or both. There is another rumour that there is a tunnel behind it leading to sea as it's near sea-side. Some suspect the water will flood through it in the temple. However experts who studied the surroundings reject the claims.

While it all maybe rumours to put people with idle curiosity away and to avoid thieves or government scrutiny, it's not very unlikely if they indeed put something like snakes behind it once upon a time. For it's a lord Padmanabhan temple aka Lord Vishnu and he is said to be lying on a giant snake. You get too greedy and force open the last door and get bitten by snakes. There had a been a myth of snakes guarding ancient treasures in general.

I don't think it's been opened yet for I cannot find any news on it but another petition for opening the vault was moved earlier this

You must be registered for see links

It's a beautiful temple- Many of the south Indian temples are and they have their ancient mystique charm- colourful, grand, intricate designs and their own stories. Unfortunately it's been in the news for wrong reasons.

"....it is the glitter of the yellow metal that has dazzled the world. Only a minority will be interested in the historical aspect of the wealth. All the journalists who have come from all over the world have asked me questions only about the amount of wealth and the yellow metal and not the historical aspects."

You must be registered for see links

Can you give me the link where you read the news from 2013 of fair mummies? Although I am not surprised that there is a rumour like that going on either- I recently encountered many you-tube videos with similar claims for many ancient temples- suggesting they were made by aliens or that proof of alien colonies is lying under them all. :|

Oh wow. Thank you very much for the links. They were interesting and feel more factual than the others i read that made the situation of the temple look like it was a typical Hollywood semi horror treasure hunt movie or something.

That said, the door really doesn't look welcoming at all lol Looking at that image, it does look like there aren't any keyholes or hinges which could support the other claim of needing a Garuda mantra to open it right?...Then again the articles you linked have no indication there has been any trial to even open the chamber in the first place not less needing a chant..so i guess i can dismiss the chant claim too. Interesting.

That said though, the temple truly has this beautiful charm to it:

Spoiler

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As for the link, i read it on my phone and searching through my history now, its gone. However, the part with the fair mummies is also in the

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link you posted earlier.

"Smueller went on to state that the mummified remains of the seven people all had blonde hair and very fair complexions. “It was odd,” claimed Smueller. “In all the years I have covered historical findings, I have never seen mummified remains with fair complexions.” Smueller added that the remains were perfectly preserved."

I haven't seen the youtube videos but i know what you mean.. The documentary i saw was mostly claiming alien stuff about it too xD. But i have to ask what your opinion is? To open or not to open?

What ever decision is taken,i have no other option than to accept it but i wish it'll be opened. I'm interested in what's actually behind there and it's story since it was sealed specially with a different door compared to the other chambers. Tbh, i'll be a bit disappointed if it's more gold :lol

 

[Ryu Kishi]

How old is the Temple?

 

[Jinrou]

How old is the Temple?

I'll have to check..but some of the stuff found in the opened chambers are said to date back to 100 AD. The temple is definitely very old.

 

[Avani]

Oh wow. Thank you very much for the links. They were interesting and feel more factual than the others i read that made the situation of the temple look like it was a typical Hollywood semi horror treasure hunt movie or something.

That said, the door really doesn't look welcoming at all lol Looking at that image, it does look like there aren't any keyholes or hinges which could support the other claim of needing a Garuda mantra to open it right?...Then again the articles you linked have no indication there has been any trial to even open the chamber in the first place not less needing a chant..so i guess i can dismiss the chant claim too. Interesting.

That said though, the temple truly has this beautiful charm to it:

Spoiler

You must be registered for see images

As for the link, i read it on my phone and searching through my history now, its gone. However, the part with the fair mummies is also in the

You must be registered for see links

link you posted earlier.

"Smueller went on to state that the mummified remains of the seven people all had blonde hair and very fair complexions. “It was odd,” claimed Smueller. “In all the years I have covered historical findings, I have never seen mummified remains with fair complexions.” Smueller added that the remains were perfectly preserved."

I haven't seen the youtube videos but i know what you mean.. The documentary i saw was mostly claiming alien stuff about it too xD. But i have to ask what your opinion is? To open or not to open?

What ever decision is taken,i have no other option than to accept it but i wish it'll be opened. I'm interested in what's actually behind there and it's story since it was sealed specially with a different door compared to the other chambers. Tbh, i'll be a bit disappointed if it's more gold :lol

It's still private property and just because we are curious and interested, we don't get an automatic right to know what's behind it. So if it opens or not, I'm rather neutral on it. It's indeed something between the temple, it's devotees and the God.

Temples and wealth had invaders incoming in India for centuries. And the modern politicians haven't proved them selves honest enough either. On top of it too many atheists or non believers are already eyeing the money which definitely doesn't belong to them and get fancy ideas and suggestions about what to do with it- being generous with other people's money.

So while I hope temples can make good use of it, I don't want corrupt politicians and officials or such people getting their hands on it.

Garuda mantra is supposed to nullify snake threat and people are fearful of them. If indeed priests believe they need Garuda mantra they will be chanting it even while using key to satisfy themselves, more so if there is no key and they have to break it open.

Spoiler

Emily Gilchrist Hatch, who was in Trivandrum in 1933, recalls in her book, 'Travancore: A Guide Book for the Visitor' (Oxford University Press, 1933) the 1931 opening of the Vault and also a similar but unsuccessful attempt that had been made in 1908. "About 25 years ago," she writes, "when the State needed additional money, it was thought expedient to open these chests and use the wealth they contained." "A group of people" got together and attempted to enter the vaults with torches. When they found them "infested with cobras" they "fled for their lives."

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I read this incident a few other times too but in that article they also mentioned that this piece couldn't be collaborated with other documents.

OK NP .. I know the link I posted mentioned fair mummies too. lol I saw that 'mummy' bit in your OP , googled and landed on the faux news page. There maybe gold or simple dust or a water Chanel and maybe some dead snake skin but the fair mummies are least likely thing to be found behind it. I can add youtube documentaries on UFo and alien theories for Indian temples some day. Some of them go to a great length in trying to come up with those theories.

How old is the Temple?

Correct age of the temple is lost in antiquity. They say it was established on the

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(5000 years) and reinstalled in 950 th year and that in the 960th Kali year King Kotha Marthandan built the Abhisravana Mandapam.

Basically the temple has been mentioned in ancient literature enough times so it's been there for a long time. Although it has been reconstructed and many shrines and Gopuram etc were added to it much later.