Bhubaneswar: After shifting of chests and almirahs, the focus is now on inspection and repair of Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichanhan said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, the Minister said a survey would be conducted to ascertain presence of any tunnel or chambers inside the treasury of the Lords. “The inventory of the valuables will begin inside the Ratna Bhandar once the repair work is completed. It will be tallied with the list prepared in 1978,” he added.
This came a day after Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, during a visit to Puri, told the media that the state government will conduct inventory of Ratna Bhandar valuables and tally the findings with the previous exercise “to ensure everything is in order”.
The last inventory of Ratna Bhandar’s valuables was carried out for 70 days, from May 13, 1978 to July 23, 1978. As per this inventory, 367 gold items including a necklace, a chain, and a crown weighing 4,360 bhari (1 bhari is about 12 grams) and 231 silver articles weighing 14,828 bhari were found in the inner chamber. At least 87 gold items weighing 8,470 bhari and 62 silver items weighing 7,321 bhari were found in the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar.
On August 24, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) wrote to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take over the Ratna Bhandar and initiate scanning and geo-physical investigation using latest technology, conservation, repair and restoration of inner and outer chambers of the treasury of the 12th-century shrine.
While valuables from the inner and outer chambers of the Ratna Bhandar were shifted to a temporary strongroom in two phases last month when it was reopened after 46 years, all seven empty iron chests and almirahs were shifted to a room near Niladri Vihar museum on the temple premises on August 23.
The conservation work would involve replacement of damaged wrought iron beams on the roof, a corbel arch and consolidation of the cracks on the walls of Ratna Bhandar.
