Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has constituted two separate committees to oversee and execute the inventory and appraisal of the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple.
The announcement was made by SJTA Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Padhee at a press conference here on Tuesday, following the Odisha government’s approval of a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the process.
As part of the exercise, the temple administration has formed a two-tier mechanism to ensure smooth execution. A Supervisory Committee will oversee and monitor the entire process, while a Handling Committee has been tasked with conducting the physical inventory and appraisal of the valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar.
SJTA Chief Administrator said the bifurcation of responsibilities is aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability and systematic documentation.
The Odisha government has approved a comprehensive 14-page SOP outlining the methodology for conducting the inventory. The document specifies procedures for physical verification, documentation, security arrangements and valuation protocols, the Dr Padhee informed.
Following the approval, temple administrators and senior officials convened a meeting to deliberate on the implementation strategy in accordance with the approved guidelines, he added.
The inventory and appraisal exercise is being undertaken to ensure proper documentation, enhanced transparency and strengthened security of the temple treasury. The process will also enable authorities to compare and tally the findings with the 1978 inventory Dr Padhee said.
The SJTA has reviewed the temple calendar from March up to Niladri Bije, the concluding ritual of the annual Rath Yatra. Of the next 135 days, nearly 100 days have been deemed unsuitable due to major festivals, including Rath Yatra, routine rituals and heavy devotee footfall, particularly on weekends.
Approximately 24 days prior to Niladri Bije have been identified as feasible for carrying out the exercise without disrupting daily rituals or darshan of devotees.
The shortlisted dates will be placed before the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee for consideration. The Managing Committee, after consulting experts and taking into account auspicious timings, will finalise the exact date and time for commencing the inventory and appraisal.
Specific responsibilities have already been assigned to designated officials to ensure the process is conducted in a secure, orderly and systematic manner, the SJTA Chief Administrator said.
