Puri: Shifting of jewels and valuables from Bhitara (inner chamber) Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town is expected to be completed by evening, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb informed on Thursday.
He said that the ‘Khatasheja’ room will be used as a temporary strongroom. “There are almirahs in the Bhitara Bhandar. The process for shifting the ornaments and valuables to the temporary strong room amid tight security will begin soon. With the blessings of the Lords, we are expecting that it would get over by this evening since preparation will have to be made for Niladri Bije of the Lords scheduled for tomorrow evening,” he told reporters after taking stock of the Ratna Bhandar opening.
The iron door of ‘Khatasheja’ room will be locked and sealed once the shifting process is completed and the keys will be deposited with the government treasury, he said.
The Puri King further said that the old almirahs in the Bahara Ratna Bhandar have been cleared. “The valuables from the outer chamber have already been shifted to a temporary strongroom located at ‘Changada Ghara’ and ‘Phula Ghara’. It has a secure door system and being monitored round-the-clock through CCTV cameras. These valuables are mostly used on festive occasion was the case during Suna Besha of the Lords yesterday,” he said.
He further said that the Bahara and Bhitara Ratna Bhandar will handed over to the ASI, which will inspect the structure using high-technology scanning instruments, once all valuables are shifted. “There is a need for conservation and repair of Bahara and Bhitara Ratna Bhandar. We have no data on when it was repaired last. The repair work will be carried out while ensuring that there is no disruption in the rituals of the Lords and smooth darshan for the devotees. Inventory of valuables will begin inside Bahara and Bhitara Ratna Bhandar once ASI completes the repair work. So, that will take some time,” he said.
The valuables will be shifted back in a phased manner. “The high-level committee and temple managing committee will take up the inventory work in accordance with the SOPs issued by the state government,” he added.
The Puri king was present when 11-member team reopened the Bhitara Ratna Bhandar at around 9.51 am.
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