Bhubaneswar: The process of shifting ornaments and valuables from the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar of the Puri Jagannath temple has commenced. And this process is expected to be completed by this evening, said Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb who was part of an 11-member team that entered the inner chamber of Puri Srimandir’s Ratna Bhandar on Thursday.
Accompanying the high-level inspection committee, set up to oversee the inventory of Ratna Bhandar, during the second phase opening of the Ratna Bhandar, the Puri King expressed hope that the shifting process would be completed by this evening as preparations for the Niladri Bije of the Holy Trinity will be started.
“As per the schedule, an 11-member team entered the inner chamber of Puri Srimandir’s Ratna Bhandar today and is shifting the ornaments and valuables to the ‘Khatasheja’ room. The almirahs and chests inside the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar are intact. And they are being shifted safely. Following the shifting, the ‘Khatasheja’ room will be sealed, and repair work on the inner chamber will be conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),” informed Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Thursday.”
He further said, “For the time being, the ‘Khatasheja’ room has been specially converted into a temporary storeroom to facilitate the shifting process. The inventorisation process will commence only after the ASI completes the repair work of the Ratna Bhandar, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the high-level committee.”
The Puri King, however, assured that once the repair work is done, the ornaments will be returned to their original place in the Ratna Bhandar.
Regarding the presence of secret tunnels or pathways within the Ratna Bhandar, the Puri King said that it will be learnt after the ASI conducts a thorough inspection using advanced instruments and laser scanning technology.
