Bhubaneswar: The inventorisation and counting of valuables and jewellery stored in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri have been temporarily paused during the ongoing Rath Yatra-related rituals, the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) said on Saturday.
SJTA Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee said the exercise was halted due to the festival schedule and ritual requirements, as certain ornaments are taken out and used during specific ceremonies.
“We had paused the counting process and inventorisation of the valuables and jewellery inside the Ratna Bhandar during this Rath Yatra festival period,” Dr. Padhee said while briefing the media.
He said some jewellery is used when the deities are seated on the Ratna Singhasana (bejewelled throne), while certain ornaments are also taken out during Snana Purnima as part of prescribed rituals.
“There are a few ornaments that are used during rituals. We have a very short window to inventory specific alankaras such as Sua Thantia, Rahu Rekha, Chita, and others,” he said.
The SJTA chief added that the inventorisation work will continue strictly as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and will be resumed after the completion of Rath Yatra.
“After the Rath Yatra is over, we will resume the inventorisation of the Bhitara Ratna Bhandar, which is the inner chamber of the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri,” he said.
