City

Ratna Bhandar Of Puri Jagannath Temple Has 1.5 Quintal Gold, Admn Informs Orissa HC

By
OB Bureau

Cuttack: Amid growing demand for opening of the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, the temple administration has informed the Orissa High Court that the treasury of the 12th century shrine which was last opened in 1978 is safe.

In an affidavit filed before the High Court, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) reportedly stated that the Ratna Bhandar of the shrine was opened and complete inventory done in 1978. The treasury was estimated to have around 1.5 quintal gold and over 184 kg silver, it said.

The affidavit submitted by the SJTA Administrator (Niti) also mentioned that there are three chambers in the Ratna Bhandar. The ornaments kept in the inner chamber are never used. Similarly, those of the outer chamber are used on the occasions of festivals. For the daily rituals of the sibling deities, the ornaments kept in the current chamber are used.

The inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar has 50 kg 600 grams of gold ornaments and 134 kg 50 grams of silver ornaments.

Similarly, the outer chamber has 95 kg 320 grams of gold ornaments and 19 kg & 480 grams of silver ornaments. Ornaments stored in the outer chamber are used for the sibling deities during different festivals. Around 3 kg gold and 30 kg silver ornaments are used while performing different rituals of the deities.

The administration in its affidavit reportedly maintained that the Ratna Bhandar is safe. Moreover, repair work of some structures including the Nata Mandap is now in progress.

The matter is slated to come up for hearing on August 14.

It may be noted here that different political parties and socio-cultural organisations have been demanding immediate steps to again open the Ratna Bhandar and do fresh inventory, besides examining the inner structure of the treasury. Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and Lord Jagannath’s chief badagrahi Jagannath Swain Mohapatra have also pleaded for opening the Ratna Bhandar. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has also sought steps to open the Ratna Bhandar to examine its condition and undertake necessary repair work.

Separate petitions, including one by senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty, have been filed in the HC seeking direction for inventory of all the valuables inside the Ratna Bhandar of Srimandir and necessary repair works inside it.

While complete inventory of Ratna Bhandar was done in 1978, the treasury was again opened in April 2018. A 16-member team including experts of the ASI had entered the outer chamber, but could not go to the inner chamber as its key was missing. They inspected the structure from a distance and reported that its condition was weak.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Hina Khan Shares Warm Post For ‘Humble And Kind’ Salman Khan

Mumbai: Television actress Hina Khan, who is battling breast cancer, recently met host Salman Khan…

November 23, 2024

AR Rahman Sends Legal Notice To Defamers Over Link-Up Rumours With Mohini Dey

 Mumbai: Following reports of his alleged link-up with bassist Mohini Dey, renowned music composer AR…

November 23, 2024

Tamannah Bhatia & Vijay Varma Go House Hunting; Is Marriage On Cards?

Mumbai: The love story of actors Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma has not been clandestine.…

November 23, 2024

Puri Jagannath Temple Admn Receives Ratna Bhandar GPR-GPS Survey Report; Asks ASI To Start Repair Work

Puri: Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has received the report of the Ratna Bhandar’s GPR-GPS…

November 23, 2024

Book Review: A Redemptive Tale Of Losing And Finding

With his debut novel ‘The Other Side of the Rainbow’ published recently, Niranjan Nayak, an…

November 23, 2024

Santosh Trophy: Odisha Seal Spot In Final Round With 2 Big Wins

Bhubaneswar: Odisha outplayed Chhattisgarh 4-1 on Saturday to seal a berth in the final round…

November 23, 2024

Diljit Dosanjh Asks States To Go Dry; ‘I Will Then Stop Singing Songs On Alcohol’

Mumbai: The Telangana government’s notice barring him from singing songs promoting alcohol and drugs at…

November 23, 2024

PM Modi To Participate In ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ In Delhi Tomorrow

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ programme on Sunday…

November 23, 2024