Orissa HC Seeks Details On Repair Of Jagamohan & Ratna Bhandar Of Puri Jagannath Temple From ASI

Cuttack: Orissa High Court has directed the ASI to submit a detailed report on the steps taken to repair the Jagamohan and the Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple in Puri.

Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi of the High Court issued the order after hearing two different petitions on the Jagamohan and the Ratna Bhandar. He observed that no progress has been made in the repair of the Jagamohan and Ratna Bhandar and sought the details from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the steps taken since 2017 to repair the two structures.

The court fixed the next hearing of the petitions on November 8 and directed the ASI to submit the report by that date.

On July 10, the ASI had informed the High Court that the repair work of the Jagamohan and the Nata Mandap had been completed. The HC had asked the ASI to submit an affidavit regarding completion of the repair work at the earliest.

It may be noted that the High Court had on August 1 directed the state government to form a special committee on reopening of the Ratna Bhandar to carry out repair works and conduct an inventory of the valuables kept inside it. The court issued the order after hearing a petition filed by senior BJP leader Sameer Mohanty.