What’s inside the secret B Vault of Kerala’s Padmanabhaswamy Temple?

What lies behind the sealed doors of Padmanabhaswamy Temple's Vault B?

The mystery surrounding the unopened ‘Vault B’ of Kerala’s Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple resurfaced this week, as a key member of the temple’s administrative committee called for a formal decision on whether the chamber should finally be opened.

Senior lawyer A. Velappan Nair, the Kerala government’s representative on the temple’s administrative committee, raised the matter during a joint meeting of the temple’s administrative and advisory panels on Thursday. Citing the Supreme Court's final order in the long-standing temple management case, Nair emphasized that the authority to decide on Vault B rests entirely with the administrative committee.

“The committee must make a decision,” Nair reportedly stated, referring to the apex court's verdict that left the vault's fate to the temple administration.

However, representatives from the Union government and the erstwhile Travancore royal family pushed back on the discussion, arguing that such a sensitive matter could not proceed without consulting the temple thantri (chief priest), whose religious authority plays a crucial role in decisions tied to temple rituals and customs.

“It was not part of the agenda. The meeting focused on other matters like renovation of the Mithranandapuram pond and temple staff issues,” said Karamana Jayan, Union government representative on the panel, speaking to The New Indian Express.

What’s inside the B Vault of Padmanabhaswamy Temple?

Vault B has long been at the heart of mystery, legend, and controversy. Unlike the other five vaults of the temple — most of which have been opened and catalogued in the past decade — Vault B remains sealed.

The Travancore royal family has consistently opposed its opening, citing deep-rooted religious customs and warnings revealed through a devaprasnam — an astrological ritual that reportedly indicated that opening the vault would be against the deity's will and could bring misfortune.

Despite repeated public interest and speculation — especially after the staggering wealth discovered in other chambers in 2011 — Vault B has remained untouched, largely out of reverence and fear.

What’s Next?

The administrative committee, chaired by the district judge, includes the thantri, and representatives from both the Union and state governments as well as the royal family. While Vault B was not officially on this week’s agenda, the issue is expected to come up for formal discussion in the next meeting.

For now, the doors of Vault B remain tightly shut — guarding not just ancient treasures, but the spiritual and cultural ethos of one of India’s most revered temples.