The Ratna Bhandar, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple, in Puri, reopened on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of the ornaments and other valuables stored there following the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) issued by the Odisha government officials said. It was last opened in 1978.
The members of a committee set up by the state government for the purpose entered the temple around 12 pm, and after performing rituals, the treasury was reopened, they said. “On the wish of Lord Jagannath, the Odia community, with the identity of ‘Odia Asmita’, has started making efforts to move forward,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post on X.
“On your wish, the four gates of the Jagannath temples were earlier opened. Today, on your wish, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 years for a greater purpose,” it said in the post, which was shared at 1.28 pm, the auspicious moment decided to reopen the treasury.
Among the 11 people present when the treasury was reopened were former Orissa HC judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’, officials said. Despite the reopening of the treasury, officials stated that the inventory of valuables would not be conducted immediately.
The Ratna Bhandar holds the precious ornaments of the sibling deities —- Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra —- donated by devotees and erstwhile kings through centuries. It is divided into the outer chamber (Bahara Bhandar) and the inner chamber (Bhitara Bhandar).
While the outer chamber of the 12th-century shrine is opened on occasions, such as the Suna Besha (golden attire) ritual during the annual Rath Yatra, the last time an inventory of the treasury was done was in 1978. Two teams of snake catchers were also present at the temple as the committee members went inside the treasure trove. It is apprehended that there are snakes inside the treasury.
The government has decided to prepare a digital catalogue of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar that will have details such as their weight and make.