Art News

Experts to Catalog South Indian Temple Treasures

By: Katy Daigle, Associated Press
NEW DELHI (AP).- A trove of gold and silver treasures found in a 16th century Hindu temple will be unearthed and cataloged by antiquities experts under tight security, with the media and public barred from the site in southern India, the Supreme Court said Thursday. The recent discovery of the treasure — including bagfuls of coins, crowns, precious gems and golden statues of gods and goddesses studded with diamonds, rubies and emeralds — made the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple the richest known religious institution in India. Its unofficial $22 billion valuation based on an incomplete inventory is expected to rise as the list of centuries-old items expands. The court said the five-member panel of experts from organizations including the National Museum, Archaeological