Lord Jagannath’s Ornaments Not To Be Assessed During Ratna Bhandar Inspection: SJTA

Puri: Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Pradeep Kumar Jena on Monday clarified that no assessment of Lord Jagannath’s ornaments will be conducted during the inspection of the Ratna Bhandar (the store house of ornaments).

Chairing the sub-committee meeting convened by the SJTA, Jena said, “The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials will only examine the status of the wall and roof of the Ratna Bhandar to ensure its security and sustainability.”

Earlier in the day, a team of ASI officials had examined the status of the outer part of the Ratna Bhandar from the Navikata Mandap of the temple and had assured that the outer portion of the Ratna Bhandar is in good condition.

On March 22, the Orissa High Court had directed the ASI to conduct an inspection of Ratna Bhandar on March 26 and 27. A bench comprising Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice BR Sarangi had asked the ASI to inspect the condition of Ratna Bhandar and report whether it requires any repair work, by March 29.

The High Court is monitoring the repair work being undertaken by the ASI in response to a PIL seeking judicial intervention for repair and renovation of the temple.