Puri Ratna Bhandar Repair Timeline To Be Extended; Check SJTA Decision On Almanacs

Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has decided to extend the timeline for completion of Ratna Bhandar repair work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The decision to extend the timeline has been taken as the repair work has not been progressing as expected due to daily rituals and heavy inflow of devotees, sources said.

The ASI had in December last year said that the Ratna Bhandar repair would be completed within three months (by March this year) if it is allowed to work on the structure for five to six hours every day.

However, because of several rituals, festivals and heavy rush of visitors, the ASI not been getting adequate time every day to carry out smooth repair work. Work had also to be stopped on many occasions due to specific rituals or festivities.

Therefore, it was decided to give some more time to the ASI to complete the work. Because this is an important monument and quality has to be maintained as far as structural renovation is concerned,” Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said after a meeting over the issue held on Tuesday.

This apart, the SJTA also decided to take concrete measures against the wrongdoers if any misleading information is found in the Odia Panjikas (almanacs). In a bid to avoid discrepancies and bring uniformity in the dates and tithis of festivals which are celebrated as per the calendar of Srimandir, the SJTA asked all panjika (almanac) publishers to incorporate the schedule as approved by it.

The frequent confusion and controversies over different festival dates and tithis published in different almanacs led to the move to bring in uniformity. The SJTA held a Panjika Samikarana meeting for the almanac of 2025 which was presided by temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee and attended by niti administrators, publishers, Puja Panda servitors and members of Mukti Mandap.

Panjika is the Hindu astronomical almanac that gives the dates of festivals, auspicious and inauspicious times, eclipses, lunar days, and movement of sun, moon and stars.