It was rumored that these treasures are still hidden inside secret vaults beneath the ancient temple.
Nobody knows how old the temple really is.
Some scholars say it was established over 5,000 years ago.
Even as early as 2,500 years ago, Padmanabhaswamy temple was known for its unimaginable wealth.
Ancient Tamil literature and poetry refer to the temple and even the city as having walls of pure gold.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the richest temple in the world.
Of the six vaults, five were opened.
So they turned their attention to Vault A.
Once again, they unlocked two outer doors, one of metal and the other of wood.
They entered a small room with a huge rectangular slab on the floor, like a toppled tombstone.
It took five men more than thirty minutes to move the slab.
It was just like the hollow covered by a stone described by the British missionary.
At the bottom of the stairs was the vault.
Diamonds and gems were sparkling, reflecting what little light there was.
And so the gems and gold were just sitting in piles on the dusty floor.
A part of the treasure.
Photo credit: srirangaminfo.com
But thats only the tip of the iceberg.
The still unopened sixth vault, Vault B, is rumored to be the largest and richest of all.
If true, this could be by far the largest undiscovered treasure find in the history of the world.
Reusing the gold could cut Indias annual gold imports by a quarter,according to governmentand industry sources.
But devotees and activists maintain that the gold belongs to the temple and should be left untouched.
As India debates who this fortune belongs, the government has tightened up security in the temple.
