A devaprasnam will be held at the Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple from Monday to find out what the Lord feels about the examination of the secret cellars in the temple. The devaprasnam, a ritual in which priests try to gauge the will of the deity, is being conducted on the initiative of the Travancore royal family, the custodian of the temple.

The ritual is being conducted in the wake of the Supreme Court deputing an expert panel to evaluate the wealth found in the cellars of the temple. The panel headed by the National Museums vice chancellor, Dr C.V. Ananda Bose, has also been asked to take a decision on opening the secret cellar B. The royal family has already deposed before the Supreme Court that opening the cellar B will invite the wrath of the deity. "The royal family is upset by all the tumult created by the uncovering of the wealth and is worried about the temple becoming inaccessible to devotees," said a palace official.

Hindu organisations had also met the expert panel last week and demanded that a devaprasnam be held before it starts its work. The panel had avoided videographing the wealth in its preliminary examination to avoid hurting the feelings of devotees. The chief priest of the temple, Tharanalloor Parameswaran Namboodiri, will lead the devaprasnam which may continue for three or four days. Meanwhile, the expert panel is also expected to hold a meeting this week to frame a modus operandi for evaluating the wealth.