Kerala govt welcomes SC verdict on Padmanabhaswamy Temple case, says State Minister

Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Monday said that the state government welcomes the Supreme Court verdict upholding the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram.

"The state government welcomes the Supreme Court verdict in Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple case. We need to get more details about the verdict. The government is duty-bound to implement and comply with the Supreme Court order," Surendran said in a press conference here.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family in the administration of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Allowing the appeal filed by members of the Travancore family, the apex court observed that the death of the Travancore ruler, who signed the covenant, does not affect the rights of the Shebaitship Travancore family over the temple and it will survive as per the customs.

A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit, as an interim arrangement, also approved a committee under Thiruvananthapuram District Judge to oversee the administration to manage the affairs of the temple till the constitution of a new committee.

The top court's judgement came on a batch of petitions challenging a Kerala High Court's order dated January 31, 2011, which had directed the state government to take steps to set up a body or trust to take control of the temple, its assets, and management.

However, the apex court had on May 2, 2011, stayed the High Court's order on the same.

The century-old Vishnu temple was traditionally managed by the temple's heirs, former Travancore ruler Marthanda Varma, for more than 1000 years.

( With inputs from ANI )