Bhubaneswar: The Jagannath Temple in Puri will close its doors for devotees from 1 pm onwards on September 18 as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will undertake a preliminary inspection of the Ratna Bhandar, the temple’s treasure trove. The public darshan will be suspended to facilitate the inspection.
Meanwhile, Dwaraphita niti will be performed at 2 am, Mangala Alati will be conducted at 3 am, and public darshan will remain suspended from 1 pm onwards, as per the decision of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA)
Earlier, as per the SOP approved by the state government, all the ornaments from the outer and inner Ratna Bhandar have been shifted to the temporary strong room and the empty almirahs and chests have been shifted. However, it was requested to conduct a survey using the latest technology before repair and conservation.
The ASI was requested to take care to ensure that there is no adverse impact on the temple. The Chief Administrator has requested ASI to complete the repair and conservation work of Ratna Bhandar without delay after a thorough technical inspection using modern technology.
