Desk Correspondent , Bhubaneshwar – The second phase of the inventory of Ratan Bhandar at Puri’s Jagannath Temple began on Wednesday, officials said. A team of servitors, gemmologists and goldsmiths entered the sacred treasury at 11:30 am along with Ratna Bhandar Committee chairman Justice Biswanath Rath and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration chief administrator Arabinda Padhee. This is the first comprehensive audit of the 12th-century temple’s treasures in 48 years and is being conducted as per the state government’s Standard Operating Procedure to ensure transparency and proper documentation of valuables.
The current phase covers the Bahar Ratna Bhandar, or outer chamber, which stores festival ornaments and jewellery, including the famous ‘Suna Bhesa’ pieces used on the deities’ chariots and four other occasions. According to the 1978 list, the treasury holds 111 items—78 gold-mixed articles and 33 silver-mixed jewelry pieces. In the first phase that started on March 25, daily-use ornaments were catalogued using videography, photography and 3D mapping, with the digital records stored in separate ‘sindhukas’ categorised by metal type.
The exercise will continue until April 11, with further sessions scheduled for April 13 and April 16-18, Padhee said. Temple rituals will remain uninterrupted, and devotees will receive darshan from the ‘Bahara Katha’ for security reasons. District police have deployed multi-layered security, including strict access control, striking forces and standby teams of magistrates, fire services and medical staff. The SOP divides the Ratna Bhandar into three categories, with the inner chamber containing centuries-old ornaments still to be inventoried.
Patna Court Stays Arrest of Educator Khan Sir in Ongoing Case
IRCTC Scam Case: Court Defers Decision on Charges Against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi Again
Adani Energy to Acquire IntelliSmart in ₹3,050 Crore Deal, Expands Smart Meter Presence
731 Displaced Persons Reportedly Die in Relief Camps Since Manipur Ethnic Violence Began
Suspected Contaminated Water Leaves Several Children Ill in Guna Village
Lucknow Petrol Pump Under Scanner After Customers Allege Fuel Short Delivery
IAS Officer Dhiman Chakma Reappointed Despite Bribery Allegations
Domestic LPG Cylinder Price Increased by ₹29 in Delhi, New Rates Effective
₴26 Crore Railway Overbridge Damaged Just Days After Opening
Kerala on High Alert After Child Dies from Shigella Infection
The agitation was primarily directed against the Cooch Behar district Congress President, Biswajit Sarkar
Tragic Teesta River Plunge Claims Four Lives Along NH10
Historic Siliguri Town Station Set for ₹3 Crore Heritage Makeover
ED Seeks SFIO Probe Documents in Kerala Money Laundering Case
Ghaziabad Murder Accused Killed in Police Encounter
Hopes for a breakthrough in US-Iran negotiations were put on hold after Presiden...
DK Shivakumar Set to Take Oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3
Sehwag Trolls Sai Sudharsan After Back-to-Back Hit-Wicket Dismissals in IPL Play...
India has confirmed signing a BrahMos missile agreement with Vietnam, marking a...
