A court-ordered search of vaults beneath a temple in India has turned up a treasure worth at least $11 billion, according to reports from the Indian state of Kerala.
The treasure trove contains rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls; replicas of coconut shells made of pure gold; hundreds of thousands of gold and silver coins and gold chains as long as 18 feet.
And there’s more.
Also found were solid gold human figurines and idols, crowns and pendants and gold and silver bars.
The wealth was amassed in at least six secret vaults, some of which had not been opened in 150 years, according to media reports.
India’s Supreme Court ordered an inventory of the vaults after hearing a private complaint seeking “more transparency and trustworthiness in the temple administration,” according to a report on the news website daijiworld.com.
As word of the find has spread, Kerala police called for help to safeguard the treasure.
