Repair Work Of Puri Jagannath Temple Jagamohan & Nata Mandap Complete, ASI Informs Orissa High Court

Cuttack: The Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI) on Monday informed the Orissa High Court that the repair work of the Jagamohan and the Nata mandap of Shree Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town of Puri has already been completed.

The ASI informed the court that the repair and renovation work of the Jagmohan as well as the Nata mandap (theater hall) of the 12th century shrine was complete. The HC asked the ASI to submit an affidavit regarding completion of the repair work at the earliest.

Similarly, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has already submitted an affidavit before the High Court regarding the opening of Ratna Bhandar of the 12^th century shrine. The High Court directed the SJTA to provide a copy of the affidavit to the petitioner. The court has also directed the petitioner to file a reply in this regard, sources said. The SJTA had submitted the affidavit on December 23, last year.

The next hearing on this matter has been scheduled on August 1, 2023. The HC was hearing a petition filed by Abhishek Das.

It may be noted here that senior BJP leader Samir Mohanty has also filed a petition before the High Court seeking direction for inventory of all valuables inside Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath Temple and necessary repair work in the structure.

The High Court has issued notices to four persons, including Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, while hearing the petition filed by Mohanty. Notices have been served on Srimandir Managing Committee Chairman Divyasingha Deb, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das, DG of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and its superintendent.

The court has posted the next hearing in the matter to August 7.

In his petition, the former Odisha BJP president had sought direction for a high-power committee under the chairmanship of the Governor or a sitting judge of the HC to supervise preparation of the inventory of the ornaments and other jewellery of Lord Jagannath kept inside the Ratna Bhandar. He had also alleged that the state government was not undertaking necessary repair works despite its dilapidated condition.

He further urged that the Ratna Bhandar be opened for taking up repair and construction work of its inner wall as per the letter of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and recommendation of the technical committee.

Mohanty further sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar. Though a judicial commission was set up to probe into the missing key episode, the state government was yet to table the finding report in the assembly, he pointed out.

The previous inventory was made in 1978 even as the Shree Jagannath Temple Act 1954 has a provision to undertake the exercise every three years.

The Ratna Bhandar was last 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.