Odisha Govt To Finalise SOP For Puri Ratna Bhandar Opening Today

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is likely to finalise the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the opening of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

In all probability, the Ratna Bhandar of the 12th century shrine in the pilgrim town will be opened on Sunday for inventory and repair work and the whole issue is being thoroughly examined by the government.

The 16-member committee headed by former Orissa High Court Judge Justice Biswanath Rath to monitor the opening of Ratna Bhandar had recommended its opening on July 14. The high-level panel had also proposed a detailed SOP for the entire exercise.

The recommendation of the committee was subsequently approved by Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and Temple Administration.

The said SOP was thoroughly examined by the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee headed by Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb. After some additions, the SOP along with the proposed date for opening was forwarded to the state government for final approval.

The SOP on the opening Ratna Bhandar is being examined and a final decision will be taken very soon, according to Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.

The Minister told reporters that the SOPs are being examined from various aspects including the legal angle. The government will take a final call regarding this by Saturday.

Preparations are underway for the opening of the Ratna Bhandar after a gap of 46 years.
Notably, the SOPs were recommended by the high-level committee chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath.

Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Padhee said further steps will be taken after the state government puts its stamp of approval on the proposal made by the monitoring committee and the managing committee.

Earlier on July 9, the high-level committee had proposed the opening of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) on July 14. The proposal was decided in the second meeting of the reconstituted committee, which was established to oversee the inventorying of valuables, including the jewelry stored in Ratna Bhandar.

After opening of the Ratna Bhandar, repair of the inner part of treasury is likely to be taken up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is fully prepared for the job.

If necessary, the repair work will be completed by working round-the-clock, Justice Rath had stated.

Similarly, it is proposed to shift the valuable jewels in the Ratna Bhandar to a nearby makeshift place and then evaluate and enumerate them. The state government is now considering all these proposals and their legal aspects before taking a final decision.