It is one of 108 Divya Desams (holy abodes of Vishnu) in the world.According to The Print, the temple dates back to the eighth century but the present gold facade, we see today, was built by Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma in the eighteenth century. Since then, the royal family has taken charge of its daily affairs. As per the new Supreme Court judgement, present members of the erstwhile family will continue doing so.

This decision ended a decade-long battle between the State and the ex-royal family of Travancore over Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple’s ownership and control. This judgement has grabbed headlines, not only in India but across the globe as the temple is touted to be the richest in the whole world, thanks to the contents or hidden treasures that were found in its 6 underground vaults, in 2017, as reported by The Print.