Finance
The much-anticipated inventory and assessment of ornaments inside Shree Jagannath Temple’s Bhitara Ratna Bhandar is due to commence tomorrow morning, with strict security.
The inner treasury, whose contents are mainly unknown, is expected to present substantial obstacles during the counting process because neither the exact inventory nor the type of the decorations have been thoroughly documented in recent years.
Prior to the exercise, a high-level preparation meeting was held at the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) office. The conference was attended by SJTA Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Puri Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh, other top officials, and servitor representatives. Justice Biswanath Rath, Chairman of the Ratna Bhandar High-Level Committee, participated in the deliberations electronically.
According to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the Ratna Bhandar keys will be obtained from the district treasury, and the chamber will be opened in the presence of the District Magistrate. After each day’s counting, the treasury will be locked again in front of the magistrate, and the keys will be safely returned to the district treasury.
Detailed conversations were made about the counting method, security procedure, and the roles of personnel inside and outside the treasury. Ornament experts and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials would be present throughout the process to analyze each item, including its weight and identification of precious stones such as pearls and gemstones.
Additionally, all ornaments will undergo 3D scanning and digital photography to ensure proper documentation. Earlier, the first phase of counting of movable Ratna Bhandar items was conducted on March 25. Subsequently, the counting of the outer Ratna Bhandar was carried out from April 8 to April 11.
Meanwhile, allegations of two ornaments that do not match the existing inventory list in the outer treasury have generated concern. However, Chhatisha Nijog representatives have refuted reports of lost jewels as unfounded.
Puri Collector and Chhatisha Nijog Mahanayak Janardana Pati Joshi Mohapatra indicated that it would be proper to comment on the problem once the entire counting procedure was completed.
Mohapatra further stated that the last counting of the inner Ratna Bhandar occurred in 1978, and none of the authorities involved at the time are still alive today. As a result, no one knows exactly what the contents of the inner treasury are.
He expressed confidence that no presiding god ornaments had gone missing, and added that the current exercise’s findings would be compared to the 1978 inventory records following the opening of the inner Ratna Bhandar.
