Puri: Counting and verification of the ornaments and valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri is set to begin on Monday.
The two-day inventory process will be carried out under tight security in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the state government, according to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
The inventory process will not disrupt the daily rituals and religious ceremonies of the sibling deities in the 12th century shrine under any circumstances, the administration said.
During the exercise, the duration of darshan for devotees may be reduced. Devotees will be allowed to have darshan only from the ‘Bahar Katha’ during this period. SJTA has appealed to all servitors and devotees to extend their cooperation and support, as they have done during previous phases of the exercise.
The counting of valuables from the Chalanti Bhandar has already been completed, while the inventory of the Bahar Bhandar is nearing completion. The focus will now be on counting and documenting the jewellery and other valuables kept inside the inner Ratna Bhandar.
The exercise will be conducted under the supervision of a high-level Ratna Bhandar inspection team. Experts from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), gemologists, photographers and other specialists will be involved in the process.
The entire exercise will be documented through videography and photography, while 3D mapping will also be carried out. All jewellery and valuables will subsequently be wrapped in two to three protective layers and securely stored inside chests.
Unlike the 1978 inventory exercise, when no gemologists were engaged, the current process includes specialised gemologists to ensure accurate identification and documentation of the ornaments. Gemologists, along with the temple’s traditional goldsmiths and the bank’s goldsmiths, will determine and record the complete identity and characteristics of each ornament using their expertise.
Officials said the exercise aims at ensuring that the valuable ornaments remain safely preserved inside the Ratna Bhandar for at least the next 100 years.
The rare ornaments will be carefully counted, weighed and matched against the official inventory list prepared in 1978.