Ratna Bhandar of Puri Jagannath temple reopened for shifting of valuables

The Ratna Bhandar, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, was reopened on Thursday, 18 July, for the second time in a week for shifting of valuables to a temporary strongroom, officials said.

The treasury was reopened at 9.51 am, they said.

After offering prayers before Lord Jagannath and his siblings, the members of a supervisory committee set up by the Odisha government for the shifting of valuables from the Ratna Bhandar, entered the temple around 9 am.

Speaking to media persons before entering the temple, the supervising committee's chairman and Orissa High Court former judge Biswanath Rath said, “We sought the blessings of Lord Jagannath for smooth completion of shifting of all valuables stored in the inner chamber of the treasury."

Last time, the treasury was opened on 14 July after 46 years. On that day, the ornaments and other valuables of the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar were shifted to a strongroom.

Justice Rath also requested Puri’s titular king Gajapati Maharaja Divya Singh Deb to remain present in the Ratna Bhandar and oversee the shifting of the valuables from there.

Deb, who inspected the shifting of valuables to the temporary strongroom on the temple premises said, “The ‘Khatasheja’ (a store room) is being used as the temporary strongroom. The valuables from the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar will be shifted to the ‘Khatasheja’ room, amid tight security."

"The shifting of valuables from the inner chamber is expected to be completed by evening. The temporary strong room will be sealed and repair work of the Ratna Bhadar will be taken up by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A list of ornaments and other valuables will be prepared only after the completion of repair works," he said.

The titular king also said, "The outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar has been cleaned after shifting of valuables from there. The inner one requires repair as it is being opened after 46 years."

Asked whether any tunnel was there in the inner chamber as claimed by many people, Deb said the ASI would use modern equipment to assess the condition of the chamber and the surveyor could give details about the structure of it.

Puri collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said only authorised persons were allowed to enter the treasury with traditional attire during the shifting of valuables from the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar.

"If the shifting of valuables will not be completed today, the work will continue as per the standard operating procedure (SOP). The entire process is being videographed," he said.

As per the SOP, CCTV cameras were installed and adequate security personnel were deployed around the temple, Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said.

"Snake catchers, Odisha Rapid Action Force personnel and fire services officials have been kept on standby to deal with any emergency," an official said.

The temple administration restricted the entry of devotees into the shrine from 8 am on Thursday.

"Only authorised persons and a handful of servitors have been allowed to enter the temple when the shifting of valuables is being carried out," he added.