00:00In 2011, outside the Shri Padmanabh Swami temple in Kerala, a security guard reportedly
00:06heard some noises coming from inside the temple.
00:09When he went to check, he found one of the walls open.
00:13Inside there was treasure, shining gold and even snakes.
00:16A few days later, the whole world learned that the temple's ancient underground walls
00:21contained a sensuous old treasure worth billions of dollars, including gold, diamonds and pearls.
00:28People immediately connected it with an old saying, where there is gold, there are snakes.
00:35But the real story is much more interesting and much more truthful.
00:43In 2011, the story of Kerala's Shri Padmanabh Swami temple spread around the world.
00:49India's Supreme Court, while hearing a petition, ordered that the temple's old walls be opened
00:54and inspected.
00:55On June 27, 2011, a committee opened five of the six walls and centuries-old treasure
01:01was discovered inside.
01:03Gold, diamonds, pearls and ancient coins.
01:06The treasure was estimated to be worth around 18 to 22 billion dollars.
01:11The sixth vault, known as Vault B, has still not been opened.
01:15According to an old tradition, two large cobras guarded and opening the vault could bring bad luck.
01:21But this is only a tradition, there is no record or proof that actual snakes are inside the vault.
01:27And it was this very tradition that brought people back to an old and famous belief.
01:32Where there is gold, there are snakes.
01:36But the real story is much more interesting, and much more truthful.
01:40So let's go a little further back, from traditions to science.
01:44First, let's talk about the ancient stories of India.
01:47The Nagas appear again and again in Indian mythology.
01:51Names like Shisha, Vasuki and Takshak can be found in ancient stories.
01:56Even today, Nag Panchami is celebrated every year in Hindu tradition, where snakes are respected
02:03and seen as symbols of protection.
02:05Because of this way of thinking, people began connecting treasure and snakes.
02:10When something is valuable, humans naturally imagine someone guarding it.
02:14In Egypt, we have the famous golden mask of King Tutankhamun.
02:18In 1922, Howard Carter discovered his tomb.
02:22On the forehead of the mask, there is a small cobra known as the Ureus, along with the figure
02:27of a vulture.
02:28It is said that these two symbols represented the Pharaoh's rule and protection over the
02:33two parts of Egypt, Upper and Lower Egypt.
02:36Here too, gold and snakes appear together as symbols.
02:40But this was a simple and Egyptian religious symbol.
02:43There was no living snake on the actual mask.
02:45It was only an image of one.
02:47So now, let's talk about the real question.
02:51Why doesn't a snake actually look for gold?
02:53And why do these stories exist in the first place?
02:57The reason is simple.
02:58A snake's world is driven by smell and heat.
03:01A snake repeatedly sticks out its tongue to collect samples from the ear and sends them
03:06to an organ called the Jacobson's organ.
03:09This helps the snake detect whether there is a nearby mouse or some other prey.
03:13Some snakes such as spitwipers and certain pythons have special openings near their eyes that
03:20allow them to detect heat, including body heat.
03:23For them, a warm blooded animal can look like a bright signal even in the darkness.
03:29Gold gives off no smell and it doesn't produce its own heat.
03:32So, snakes have no special attraction to gold.
03:36There's another important point.
03:38Gold is chemically very unreactive.
03:40It doesn't react easily with air or water.
03:43In other words, gold doesn't create any kind of smell signals for a snake.
03:47So then, why do snakes sometimes end up near treasures in old mansions or temples?
03:53The answer is actually very simple.
03:55The environment.
03:57Where there is darkness, coolness and place to hide, a snake can find shelter.
04:02And where there are rats, there is also food for the snake.
04:06Around temples, offerings such as grains or sweets may sometimes be present nearby.
04:11These can attract rats and the rats can attract snakes.
04:15It's a food chain friends, not a gold chain.
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04:30informative video.
04:32Now back to the story.
04:33And that can also strengthen these myths.
04:36But the idea that gold attracts snakes has never been proven by scientific research.
04:41The Shri Padmanabh Swami temple is a perfect example.
04:45A place contains centuries-old gold and people immediately imagine a naga guarding the treasure.
04:51On Tutankhamun's mask, the cobras represent power and protection.
04:55And according to old traditions, a snake sits on top of the treasure.
04:59But science says, a snake needs prey, shelter and a cool, quiet place, not cold.
05:05And yes, one small thing.
05:08These myths aren't boring because they are part of culture.
05:11The respect of nagas, the ureus symbol and all these stories tell us something interesting
05:15about the human beings.
05:17We have always imagined valuable things as being protected in dramatic ways.
05:22But when it comes to the facts, one thing is clear.
05:26The relationship between snakes and gold exists in the human imagination, not in the snakes.
05:31I hope you enjoyed this video.
05:33If you did, drop a comment, hit like and make sure you are subscribed to the channel.
05:37I'll see you in the next one on a different topic.
05:40Until then, take care.
