When the safe vaults of Sri Padmanabha Temple, Thiruvananthapuram opened, the sheer size of wealth amassed in it got the attention of the media from across the world. A rough estimate of more than $ 20 billion is valued in gold and other precious stones. The owner of the temple, Travancore Maharaja Uthradam Thirunaal Marthanda Varma declined the ownership of the wealth, stating that it belongs to Lord Mahavishnu, the temple deity. In the year 1750 AD, the then ruler of the Travancore State, after defeating an uprising of riots from a section of the society, forfeited the whole country to Sri Padmanabha Temple and accepted the title of Padmanabha Dasa (servant of the Lord). No wonder, the temple is rich, as it was also insulated from the European invasions.
In a recent study published by the Dutch Embassy in India reveals that the root cause for the European invasion was to have a direct trade relation with the numerous small country states in India, so as to avoid the Arab traders. Their objective was mainly to get Black Pepper at a better price. Black pepper and other spices were traded for gold and silver. Pepper was so valuable that it was often used as collateral or even currency. In the Dutch language, "pepper expensive" (peperduur) is an expression for something very expensive. To reduce the price of black pepper, the Europeans introduced Red Chilly to India and it worked.
A riddle authored by Saint Aldhelm, a 7th-century Bishop of Sherborne, sheds some light on black pepper's role in England at that time:
I am black on the outside, clad in a wrinkled cover,
Yet within I bear a burning marrow.
I season delicacies, the banquets of kings, and the luxuries of the table,
Both the sauces and the tenderized meats of the kitchen.
But you will find in me no quality of any worth,
Unless your bowels have been rattled by my gleaming marrow.
It is commonly believed that during the Middle Ages, pepper was used to conceal the taste of partially rotten meat. It may not be true; however, pepper and other spices probably did play a role in improving the taste of long-preserved meats.
For a state to be known as wealthy, it should have enough natural resources for the basic needs of human settlement – cultivatable land, work force to engage in agriculture, moderate climate, water resources, a good society with (religious) values and stable political platform. Kerala, though coined as a mere marketing phrase, is truly “God's Own Country” when considering such ideal conditions of happy living. There are enough examples in history for our multi cultural understanding and encouragement of international trade from time immemorial – from the ancient Chinese, Arab, Roman to the latest transcontinental container harbor.
The Jewish Connection
Kochi, Kerala, is one of the very few places in the world where the Jews can claim centuries of peaceful coexistence with the local population. Though, there has been very little research on Jewish varieties of Malayalam, about 200 songs written and sung by Jewish Malayalam-speaking women were found and published. These folk songs were sung at life-cycle events and holiday celebrations, and they include many Jewish religious signifiers in the forms of biblical allusions and formulaic blessings and prayers. An extensive research is being carried out by the Ben-Zvi Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A pioneering volume of about 50 songs is published in 2004 along with translations into Hebrew. A German translation of these songs (Frenz & Zacharia 2002) was already published and sold out immediately as the Germans may be curious to learn the multi cultural values kept at that time in Kerala. It is learned that as early as AD 750, by the terms of a charter from the ruler, engraved in Vaṭṭeluttu characters on the plate, Rabban, who is referred to as the prince of Ansuvannam, was granted seventy-two "free houses" and feudal rights in Ansuvannam, near Cranganore (Modern Kodungalloor, where the Muziris Heritage Project is taking shape now).
Humble rulers
It is interesting to note that Kerala rulers were always very humble in their nature and official expenditure. One reason could be the influence of brahmin (Namboothiri) community not only in the day-to-day affairs of the rulers but also in the philosophical outlook of the whole society. Gold, along with alcohol, gambling and prostitution were considered as the seat for Kali (the demon god causing all problems) of this Yug (time period after Lord Krishna's incarnation).
The richness found in the temple is so high that even the State Government's complete debts can be eliminated in one swipe. And the balance funds can be used for making the State, one of the wealthiest (in economic terms) in the world. But, how can it be used for a human use when the ownership rested with the Lord himself? The solution also lies with the affidavit filed by the Maharaja who proposes to use the treasure in three ways: a) do not touch the ones that are used for the temple rituals on a regular basis, b) use a museum to exhibit the ones with archeological and artistic value and c) the rest of it can be used for the benefit of people in the form of hospitals, schools etc. Look at the way this Padmanabha Dasa behaves even when he is said to be the custodian of the greatest treasure on earth. Isn’t it another model from Kerala for the whole human race to emulate?
