Puri: The long-awaited inventory of Ratna Bhandar (treasury) at Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri is set to begin on Wednesday (March 25), marking the first comprehensive audit of the sacred treasures in nearly five decades.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has finalised a detailed schedule following consultations with temple scholars, astrologers, and the managing committee, presided over by Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb. The process will kick off during an auspicious window between 12:09 pm and 1:45 pm on Chaitra Shukla Saptami.
Strict Security and Key Management Protocol
The district collector will retrieve the keys from the district treasury each day and return them after the day’s work to ensure strict security and transparency.
Two Specialised Teams to Oversee the Exercise
A three-member supervisory team, led by SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, will monitor the entire operation. The 10-member handling team includes two gemmologists (provided by the state government), the temple’s traditional goldsmith, additional goldsmiths empanelled by nationalised banks, the Bhandar Mekapa (temple treasurer), other traditional servitors such as Pattajoshi Mahapatra, Tadhau Karan, and Deula Karan, representatives from the temple managing committee, and two senior officers from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Camera crews and video technicians will also enter to record proceedings.
Advanced Documentation Techniques for the First Time
For the first time, the inventory will incorporate advanced documentation techniques, including videography, photography, and 3D mapping, alongside a full digital catalogue. The renovated Ratna Bhandar, repaired by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), now features separate secure chambers for different categories of valuables.
Process of Inventory and Handling of Treasures
The process will involve tallying ornaments against the last inventory list prepared in 1978, identifying the type and quality of gems by gemmologists, assigning traditional nomenclature by the goldsmith, recording weights, sizes, and details of embedded stones, and creating e-catalogues. No monetary valuation of the jewels will be undertaken. Gold ornaments will be wrapped in yellow velvet, silver items in white velvet, and other precious pieces in red velvet before being placed in designated vaults or chests within the renovated treasury chambers (Bahar and Bhitar Ratna Bhandar). The inventory will proceed in phases, beginning with movable items and daily-use ornaments.
All personnel will enter the Ratna Bhandar adhering to traditional dress code, wearing dhoti and gamucha.
Temple Rituals and Devotee Access to Remain Unaffected
Temple officials have assured that daily rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra will remain undisturbed. Devotees will continue to have darshan of the sibling deities from the Bahar Katha area on working days. The exercise will be paused on Saturdays, Sundays, and major festival days to avoid inconvenience amid heavy crowds. A monthly calendar will outline working days.
Timeline and Expectations
The 1978 inventory took 72 days to complete. The Orissa High Court has directed the current exercise to be finished within three months, but SJTA officials have indicated they may seek an extension given the scale and meticulous nature of the work, which includes digitisation for long-term preservation.
Official Statements
On March 21, Padhee said: “…the state government has approved an SOP for the inventorization process. Today, under the chairmanship of the high-level committee chairperson, Justice Bishwanath Rath, we held a meeting with all concerned sevayats and thoroughly discussed the entire procedure… As per the SOP, there will be two teams. The handing team will be there in all three chambers of Ratna Bhandar and the process will begin with the outer treasury. A separate supervising team will oversee the operations. The entire process will be videographed in the presence of an Executive Magistrate. With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, we pray that the entire inventorization process proceeds smoothly and successfully.”
Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, who reviewing the preparedness for the inventory at a meeting on March 23, emphasised that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the state government will be followed with utmost transparency. The entire exercise will be documented and stored in digitised form. The inclusion of external experts such as gemmologists, a metallurgist, bank-recommended goldsmiths, and RBI officials will bring greater accuracy and accountability compared to the previous exercise, which lacked specialised gem identification.
No gemologist participated in the 1978 inventory, he added.
