Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has requested the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to appoint two senior, experienced officers to oversee the inventory assessment of Ratna Bhandar, the treasure chamber at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Law and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan informed the media that a letter was sent to the RBI Governor, urging it to send two of its officers who have experience in cataloging treasures of popular temples in the country, to make the entire process transparent.
He further stated that ornaments and precious stones sealed and kept in two strong rooms within the shrine complex will soon be transferred to the Ratna Bhandar, where the inventory will be done. “The inventory process will commence once the RBI officers arrive, and it will be conducted in their presence,” he stated.
The last inventory of both the chambers of Ratna Bhandar was done in 1978 by a nine-member committee headed by the then governor of Odisha BD Sharma. “During the inventory, each sealed piece of jewellery will be opened and photographed for the digital catalogue. Name, weight and quantity of each piece of jewellery will be recorded and matched with the 1978 list,” the minister added.
The structural conservation of Ratna Bhandar, which began on December 17, 2024, was completed by the Archaeological Survey of India on July 7. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) handed it over to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration on July 8.