Bhubaneswar: The process of inventory of gold ornaments, precious jewels and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri will begin very soon.
This was stated officially after a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
An official statement said that Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Arabinda Padhee, presented a detailed roadmap for the process before the Chief Minister. Officials informed that all preliminary formalities have been completed and the administration is fully prepared to undertake the inventory exercise.
The meeting noted that comprehensive repair and conservation work of both the outer and inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar had been successfully completed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The restoration work was carried out over 95 days, involving 333 hours of focused operations. With structural and conservation measures now in place, authorities have cleared the way for the inventory to commence.
This apart, a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been prepared by the Temple Managing Committee and will be implemented after formal government approval. The inventory process will be conducted under stringent security arrangements and with complete transparency.
It may be noted that the last inventory of the Ratna Bhandar was undertaken way back in 1978. During the upcoming exercise, officials will tally the assets with the 1978 records to prepare an updated and finalised list.
Officials said that a digital catalogue will be created, and the entire process will be documented through photography to ensure proper record-keeping.
The meeting also reviewed preparations for this year’s Rath Yatra. Given the substantial requirement of phasi wood and sandalwood for the construction and rituals associated with the annual festival, the Chief Minister directed officials to submit proposals for plantation of these species under forest development projects to ensure sustainable supply in the future.
The meeting was attended among others by Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Chief Minister’s Advisor Prakash Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary to CM Saswata Mishra, Principal Secretary of the Law Department Pabitra Mohan Samal, and Puri District Collector Divyajyoti Parida.
