Ratna Bhandar In Puri Jagannath Temple Safe, Says SJTA

Puri: Amid concern expressed in different quarters about safety of Ratna Bhandra of Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri, chief administrator of SJTA Ranjan Das said it was safe and there was nothing to worry about it.

Speaking to media persons on Saturday, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said there was no threat to the Ratna Bhandar and the fear about its safety was unfounded.

On the Orissa High Court’s direction to form a high-level committee for repair of interior walls of the Ratna Bhandar, Das said it would be discussed in the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) meeting.

“The decision to be taken at the meeting on the reopening and inventory of ornaments would be conveyed to the High Court. The Ratna Bhandar is safe and people should not worry about it,” he added.

Meanwhile, managing committee member Madhab Mohapatra said the decision on formation of the special committee would be taken in next meeting of SJTMC.

It may be noted that the High Court in its order on September 29 had directed the state government to form a high-level panel over Ratna Bhandar issue if approached by SJTMC to assist it in carrying out inventory of valuables stored in its inner chamber.

The division bench of Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra and Justice Savitri Ratho had given the government two months’ time to form the panel. “We are not persuaded to interfere with the plan of work regarding inventorisation & repair works of interior walls… as prepared in the meeting held on August 4 on the advice of Superintending Archaeologist of ASI,” the Bench said.

However, in an affidavit, the temple administration had told the court last month that there was gold jewellery weighing about 149.47 kg and silver jewellery weighing 198.79 kg and utensils in Ratna Bhandar. It had also stressed that it was not necessary to do a further inventory as the properties/valuables were intact.