The bond between royalty and Gods

KOCHI: Before devaswoms came into being, most of the important temples in the state had the patronage of royal families, and are identified with erstwhile kingdoms.
So Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple in Tripunithura is associated with the Cochin Royal Family, the Kodungalloor Sree KurumbaTemple with Kodungalloor Kovilakam, and the most well-known patron and the richest deity of the state – the Travancore royal family with Sree Padmanabhaswamy.
The bond between royalty and Gods run deep, even after devaswoms were constituted to manage these temples. For Sree Poornathrayeesha, the Kochi kings had donated gold ornaments, gold caparisons, and speciallydesigned gold utensils meant for routine rituals of the temple
“Though Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple does not top in hundi collection, it remains one of the richest temple under the Cochin Devaswom Board (CDB) if we consider the quantity of gold, silver and other valuables donated by the kings,” said Rajan K Thalappilly, an officer of the CDB.
As per a recent assessment, Sree Poornathrayeesha Temple owns nearly 65 kg of Gold and 65 kg of silver, said to be worth crores of rupees.
Each gold caparison moulded in gold weights around 6 kg. There are three ‘Swarna Kolams’ that come in different sizes. The special ‘Swarna Kolam’ is decorated with precious stones such as ruby, emeralds, sapphire and other invaluable gems.
But the most important relic is the golden crown, decorated with precious stones and carvings, according to a CDB official. The crown is similar to the royal crown of Kochi kings kept at Hill Palace Museum. The value of this crown has not been assessed yet.
As for the wealth of Sree Padmanabahswamy, contributed by Travancore royal family, it’s anyone’s guess!