Puri: Ahead of the long-awaited inventory of valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Monday said elaborate arrangements have been put in place to ensure a transparent and systematic exercise.
The inventory process, scheduled to begin on March 25 after a gap of 48 years, will be carried out using advanced technological tools such as videography, photography and 3D mapping for the first time, the minister said. The initiative is aimed at ensuring accurate documentation and enhanced transparency in recording the temple’s ornaments and other valuables.
Harichandan informed that, in a first-of-its-kind move, gemologists and officials from the Reserve Bank of India will participate in the exercise alongside expert goldsmiths.
Clarifying the scope of the exercise, the minister said there would be no valuation of the items, and the process would remain limited to documentation and verification.
Following a review meeting on preparedness at the 12th-century shrine, Harichandan said detailed discussions were held to ensure that the inventory is conducted in a secure, systematic and transparent manner. He also emphasised that the daily rituals of the temple must not be disrupted and directed officials to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP) laid down by the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee.
The meeting was attended by Ratna Bhandar Committee Chairman Justice Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Padhee, Law Department Principal Secretary and High-Level Committee member Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samal, Puri District Magistrate Divyajyoti Parida, Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh, members of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, officers of the temple administration (niti and development), and prominent servitor representatives.
