Shri Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar Reopens After Four Decades
The Ratna Bhandar (Treasure Trove) of Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is reopening after more than 40 years. Special boxes were brought to carry out the inventorization of valuables, including jewelry. The process follows Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) approved by the Odisha government.
Details of the Reopening
On Saturday, the Odisha government approved the opening of the Ratna Bhandar. Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Arabinda Padhee stated, “Odisha government has approved the SOP for opening the Ratna Bhandar. As per the decision, today the Ratna Bhandar is being opened as per set guidelines. Authorised representatives from the various ‘sewa’ groups, officials from the ASI, representatives of Shri Gajapati Maharaj and others would be there. The entire proceedings will be video recorded for our records, not for publicity and will be strictly confidential.”
Steps in the SOP
Padhee explained that there are three steps in the SOP for the opening and inventorization of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar:
- Opening of the outer Ratna Bhandar.
- Guidelines for the inner Ratna Bhandar.
- Temporary strong room for inventorying the valuables.
Puri SP Pinak Mishra mentioned that security arrangements are in place, including Quick Response Teams (QRT) and contingency plans. Daily rituals in the temple will continue as usual, and only identified servitors on duty will be allowed inside the temple.
Importance of the Reopening
Sand artist and inspection committee member Sudarshan Patnaik highlighted the importance of the reopening, stating, “After the High Court order, ASI wrote a letter to the temple management committee to hand it over as soon as possible because it is very important to repair it, so I wrote a letter to our chairman of the Jagannath Temple Committee in this regard… The government has given importance to the repair part and the government has prepared the entire SOP and today the Ratna Bhandar will open.”
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be conducting repair works in the Ratna Bhandar, which also looks after the maintenance of the 12th-century shrine. The Treasury was last opened in 1978.
