Puri: The inventorisation of the Bahara (outer) Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple entered its third day on Friday, with officials continuing a meticulous and technology-driven documentation of the temple’s treasured jewels and ornaments.
As per the State Government’s standard operating procedures (SOP), the inventory team is undertaking a comprehensive and transparent process using modern digital tools. Each ornament is being identified and recorded through advanced 3D mapping techniques. Goldsmiths, gem experts, and officials from the Reserve Bank of India are jointly weighing and verifying jewellery, pearls, and precious stones to ensure accuracy.
The team, clad in traditional attire, entered the outer Ratna Bhandar after the completion of Lord Jagannath’s ‘Sakala Dhupa Niti’ (morning rituals) on Friday. Officials said the process is being carried out with utmost precision, maintaining both religious sanctity and administrative transparency.
During the first two days of the exercise, more than 40 categories of ornaments have already been counted and documented. These include valuable items used during various rituals and festivals associated with Lord Jagannath. The current inventory is also being cross-verified with records from the last such exercise conducted in 1978.
The Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) described the inventorisation as a “highly sensitive and significant” task, noting that the detailed nature of the process makes it time-intensive. The State Government has set a target to complete the entire exercise before the upcoming Snana Yatra.
The inventorisation drive began on April 8 and will continue in phases over the coming days, including April 11, 13, and April 16 to 18.
Meanwhile, arrangements have been made to ensure that devotees can continue to have darshan of Lord Jagannath from near the ‘Bahara Katha’ of the temple during the ongoing process.
