Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited inventory of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri is set to commence today, marking the first such exercise in nearly 48 years. All preparations have been completed under tight security to document and verify the priceless gems, gold and silver ornaments, and other valuables belonging to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
Authorised personnel, servitors dressed in traditional attire, will enter the Ratna Bhandar between 12:09 pm and 1:45 pm today. Only a limited number of members from the supervisory and handling teams will be allowed inside at a time, strictly following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the state government.
The SOP ensures that daily rituals of the deities and darshan for devotees continue uninterrupted. The inventory process will begin with the movable ornaments in the outer chamber (Bahar Bhandar). Each item will be carefully identified with the help of two gemologists, counted, weighed, and matched against the last inventory list prepared in 1978.
Digital photography and videography will be conducted for proper documentation. Gold ornaments will be placed on yellow cloth, silver on white cloth, and other items on red cloth before being wrapped in 2-3 layers and stored safely in one of the six specially prepared boxes.Temple jewellers, government bank jewellers, RBI officials, and experts will participate in the exercise.
After verification, the ornaments will be securely placed back. Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has appealed to all servitors, officers, and devotees for full cooperation during this sacred and important process.
“As the Ratna Bhandar inventorisation process commences today, we feel truly blessed to be part of this sacred endeavour. We seek your good wishes. All Mahaprabhu’s grace and blessings,” stated Padhee in a message.
While rituals inside the sanctum sanctorum will continue as usual by authorised servitors, public darshan from the inner courtyard (Bhitar Katha) has been temporarily suspended for security reasons. Devotees will be able to offer prayers only from the outer courtyard (Bahar Katha).
The SJTA has requested devotees to cooperate fully so that the inventory is completed smoothly without any disturbance to the divine service of Lord Jagannath.
