A Festival Befitting This Temple

Asha Prakash talks to V Ratheeshan to give you a low down on the plans for the upcoming Lakshadeepam Festival at india’s most talked about temple — Sree Padmanabhaswamy

- Asha Prakash

Ever since the world came to know of the existence of the gigantic treasure trove in the secret vaults of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple five years ago, the temple and its keepers have been under constant spotlight.

In the same year, the Supreme Court of India ordered that the administration of the temple be shifted from the royal family to an elected committee under a district judge and headed by a bureaucrat, following allegations of mismanagement of the treasure.

The treasure may have given a boost to the tourism inflow into the temple, but for the people of the capital city of Kerala, the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is not just a temple or a treasure trove — it’s a part of their daily life.

The public have a lot to look forward to this year, as the temple is all set to get a ‘golden’ makeover. The current administration is doing its best to make the temple more people-friendly for devotees from across the country, and is also transforming the six-yearly festival, Lakshadeepam, into a celebration involving all sections of the public, rather than just being a ritual. It will also mark the first time someone other than the royal family of Travancore will conduct the Lakshadeepam.

The current executive officer of the committee V Ratheeshan, IAS, talks to us about how he considers it a blessing to be part of the management of such a temple and also the challenges of occupying the controversial position.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES EXECUTED IN THE TEMPLE IN YOUR TENURE?