Bhubaneswar: The counting and inventory of gold ornaments and precious jewels housed in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple will begin shortly, following a high-level review chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan.
Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, presented a detailed roadmap for the process before the Chief Minister. Officials informed that all preliminary formalities have been completed and the administration is fully prepared to undertake the inventory exercise.
The meeting noted that comprehensive repair and conservation work of both the outer and inner Ratna Bhandar has been successfully completed by the Archaeological Survey of India. The restoration work was carried out over 95 days, involving 333 hours of focused operations. With structural and conservation measures now in place, authorities have cleared the way for the inventory to commence.
A detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared by the Temple Managing Committee and will be implemented after formal government approval. The inventory process will be conducted under stringent security arrangements and with complete transparency.
Significantly, the last inventory of the Ratna Bhandar was undertaken in 1978. During the upcoming exercise, officials will match the assets with the 1978 records to prepare an updated and finalised list. A digital catalogue will be created, and the entire process will be documented through photography to ensure proper record-keeping.
The meeting also reviewed preparations for this year’s Rath Yatra. Given the substantial requirement of phasi wood and sandalwood for the construction and rituals associated with the annual festival, the Chief Minister directed officials to submit proposals for plantation of these species under forest development projects to ensure sustainable supply in the future.
Among those present at the meeting were Works and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Chief Minister’s Advisor Prakash Mishra, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Saswata Mishra, Principal Secretary of the Law Department Dr. Pabitra Mohan Samal, and Puri District Collector Divyajyoti Parida.
