Treasure worth €15bn unearthed at Hindu temple

A VAST treasure trove of gold coins, jewels and precious stones unearthed at a lightly guarded Hindu temple in India was expected to grow further in value as the last two secret vaults sealed for nearly 150 years are opened.

The government has increased security since the treasure’s discovery in recent days, which has instantly turned the 16th-century Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple into one of the wealthiest religious institutions in the country.

Four vaults recently opened at the temple in Trivandrum, the capital of the southern state of Kerala, held a vast bounty estimated at $22 billion (€15.1bn).