Ratna Bhandar In Puri Jagannath Temple To Reopen Tomorrow, Odisha Govt Approves SOP

Bhubaneswar: Ending all the speculations, the Odisha government on Saturday announced that the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) in Jagannath temple at Puri will be reopened on Sunday.

Speaking to media persons, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the government has approved the standard operating procedure (SOP) for reopening the Ratna Bhandar for inventory and repair work. All aspects of reopening including rituals, time and precautions have been taken into account while finalising the SOP, he added.

Stating that it has been decided to reopen the Ratna Bhandar on Sunday, the minister said the chief administrator of the temple administration would decide the exact timing. An experts team, headed by the chief administrator has been formed for the purpose. It includes representatives of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), servitors and others, he added.

He further said the assistance of RBI was sought to maintain transparency in the inventory of ornaments. Their representatives will be present during the inventory and cooperate with the team of the managing committee.

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

The recommendation of the committee was subsequently approved by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and temple administration.