Puri: Counting of ornaments and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will begin on March 25.
Following a decision taken at the meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee held on Monday, the Ratna Bhandar inventory process will begin during the auspicious Mahendra Bela on Chaitra Shukla Saptami tithi, between 12.12 pm and 1.45 pm.
Chief Administrator of Shree jagannath Temple Manging Committee (SJTA) Arabinda Kumar Padhee said that the state government has already approved the final Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed during the inventory process.
Notably, the Orissa High Court has granted three months to complete the counti
ng process. To ensure accuracy and transparency, e-cataloguing will be undertaken, and a special monthly calendar will be prepared.
Officials said counting of the Ratna Bhandar valuables will not be conducted on special days, festivals, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Two teams, a Supervising Team and a Handling Team, have been formed oversee the inventory exercise. The Supervising Team will consist of three members, while the Handling Team will have ten members drawn from temple administration, sevayats, experts in ornament identification, and representatives from financial institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The entire inventory process will be conducted under CCTV surveillance, with complete videography and photography. All participants will be required to maintain strict confidentiality. Ornaments will be stored in separate and secure chests after documentation.
The inventory will be carried out in three phases – first the section of Ratna Bhandar which is being reguaraly used, followed by the outer chamber of Ratna Bhandar, and finally the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar.