Puri: The high-level committee overseeing matters related to the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple has decided to commence the counting and inventory of the temple’s jewel ornaments before the annual Rath Yatra, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Padhee said on Saturday.
Addressing mediapersons after the committee meeting, Padhee said that an 11-page Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared to ensure a systematic, transparent and phased process for the inventory exercise.
According to the SJTA Chief Administrator, the counting and documentation of the ornaments will be carried out in three distinct phases. In the first phase, ornaments currently kept in the temporary or outer treasury will be inventoried. This will be followed by the inventory of the outer Ratna Bhandar, and finally, the inner Ratna Bhandar, which houses the most valuable and ancient jewellery of the temple.
Padhee clarified that the SOP outlines detailed procedures for access, documentation and handling of the ornaments to maintain sanctity and security during the process. The SOP will be placed before the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee for consideration.
“All activities related to the counting and inventory will be undertaken only after obtaining approval from the Managing Committee and the state government,” the SJTA Chief Administrator said.
The decision marks a significant step in the long-pending process of assessment and documentation of the sacred treasures of the 12th-century shrine, which holds immense religious, historical and cultural importance.
