Cuttack: Amid growing demand for opening of the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the temple administration has informed the Orissa High Court that the treasury of the 12th century shrine which was last opened in 1978 is safe.
In an affidavit filed before the High Court, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) reportedly stated that the Ratna Bhandar of the shrine was opened and complete inventory done in 1978. The treasury was estimated to have around 1.5 quintal gold and over 184 kg silver, it said.
The affidavit submitted by the SJTA Administrator (Niti) also mentioned that there are three chambers in the Ratna Bhandar. The ornaments kept in the inner chamber are never used. Similarly, those of the outer chamber are used on the occasions of festivals. For the daily rituals of the sibling deities, the ornaments kept in the current chamber are used.
The inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar has 50 kg 600 grams of gold ornaments and 134 kg 50 grams of silver ornaments.
Similarly, the outer chamber has 95 kg 320 grams of gold ornaments and 19 kg & 480 grams of silver ornaments. Ornaments stored in the outer chamber are used for the sibling deities during different festivals. Around 3 kg gold and 30 kg silver ornaments are used while performing different rituals of the deities.
The administration in its affidavit reportedly maintained that the Ratna Bhandar is safe. Moreover, repair work of some structures including the Nata Mandap is now in progress.
The matter is slated to come up for hearing on August 14.
It may be noted here that different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have been demanding immediate steps to again open the Ratna Bhandar and do fresh inventory, besides examining the inner structure of the treasury. Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and Lord Jagannath’s chief badagrahi Jagannath Swain Mohapatra have also pleaded for opening the Ratna Bhandar. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also sought steps to open the Ratna Bhandar to examine its condition and undertake necessary repair work.
Separate petitions, including one by senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty, have been filed in the HC seeking direction for inventory of all the valuables inside the Ratna Bhandar of Srimandir and necessary repair works inside it.
While complete inventory of Ratna Bhandar was done in 1978, the treasury was again opened in April 2018. A 16-member team including experts of the ASI had entered the outer chamber, but could not go to the inner chamber as its key was missing. They inspected the structure from a distance and reported that its condition was weak.
