It is undoubtedly true that there is no shortage of hidden glories in India. Some of the temples are ancient, but what comes to our mind when we discuss an old historical site? Hidden gems? Architectural marvel? Sources say that there are many such uncovered glories in India, where one can find hidden treasures of over 22,000 tons.
Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
The temple is located in Trivandrum, now Thiruvananthapuram, in the South coast of Kerala. The city is mostly covered by British layout. An overwhelming loud monarch of Travancore, named Raja Marthanda Varma, fabricated this immense Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple with a desire that Lord Vishnu be worshipped at this temple. Anyone visiting this temple is bound to marvel at its decay and the metallic glory of gold. It is undoubtedly called the world’s most affluent temple.
The stock of treasure: An estimated Rs 90,000 crore worth of gold, jewellery and statues have been recovered from the 16th century Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple
Origin: A branch of the Royal family of Thiruvidhamakur and other royal families took shelter in Thiruvananthapuram and hoarded resources there for protection during the invasion of Mysore. More gold was imported from the larger dynasties.
Renowned archaeologist and historian R. Nagaswamy said that there are records of donations to the deities being made by devotees from different parts of Kerala. There is a fascinating history waiting to be unravelled as we read in the mystery thrillers.
Golden Temple, Amritsar
The shrine is located in Amritsar, Punjab, and was built in 1577 by Sikh Guru Ram Das Saheb. The golden cover helps keep its courtyard cool during the scorching summer.
The stock of gold: An estimated 750kg of gold is housed here. All the equipment are made of 24-carat gold, which is much purer than the 22-carat gold present in the market. There are 50 domes made of approximately 1,690kg of gold. There are 50 additional domes made of approximately 1,690kg of gold and a wrap path by the craftsmen of Mohammed Khan.
Origin: Maharaja Ranjit Singh conferred Rs 16.39 lakhs. Moreover, other great Sikh priests donated a lot of money.
Shri Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati
This temple is situated in the Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, standing over a height of 853 meters above the Tirumala Hills. It has been built in a Dravidian architectural style. In this temple, Lord Vishnu is worshipped in full swing.
The stock of gold: The statue of Lord Vishnu stands eminently within the womb, beneath a gilt-domed enjoying Divya Vimana. There is a huge emerald embedded before the idol of the Lord and the idol is adorned with a gold crown, which is decorated with diamonds on special occasions. A neat circle of gems and earrings can be noticed. Several gold vases and ornaments have also been found. According to jailors, over 9,000 kgs of gold is located here.
Origin: Since the history of the East could not collect any special information, it must be assumed that this temple was built under the kindness of the devotees.
Jagannath Temple, Puri
The Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga founded this temple in the 12th century. Here, everyone prays to Lord Jagannath.
The stock of gold: Over 120 kgs of gold and 221 kgs of silver was once found here. A safe store has been built to store jewellery in the temple, which currently houses 12,832 ‘bhari’ (1 bhari = 11.66gms) of gold and jewellery, as well as other precious stones.
Origin: Hindu devotees donate gold and clothes to the temple. In this way, the field has become a gold deposit.
Golden Temple, Sripuram
Located in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, this temple was built by Narayani Peedam. The temple is spread over 100 acres of land. Lakshmi Narayani temple’s Vimanam and Ardha Mandalay is roofed with aurum.
The stock of gold: The entire temple is covered with approximately 1,500 kgs of pure gold. The gold bars were made into gold foils, using which every single detail was made. The mound can be seen on gold foil etched with copper plates from level 8 to level 10.
Origin: Under the direction of Sri Sakthi Amma, the temple was erected to attract the attention of the devotees.
Note: The article was originally published here.