Finance
The inner chamber of the Holy Trinity’s Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) reopened today at 9:51 a.m., in accordance with the government’s predetermined timeline and standard operating procedures.
On Tuesday, Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of the Ratna Bhandar inventorisation committee, announced that the inner chamber would be open from 9:51 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on July 18.
“The inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar was opened in the presence of the 11-member committee constituted to monitor the complete process of transferring valuables and ornaments of Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities to the temporary strong room made inside Khata-Seja Ghara, after which the strong room will be sealed.” Said, Siddharth Shankar Swain, Collector & District Magistrate, Puri.
The keys to the Ratna Bhandar, except for the outer chamber, will be sent to the district treasury.
For security considerations, commoners and non-authorized servitors were prevented from visiting the Shree Mandir premises beginning at 8 a.m.
Throughout the procedure, the temple rites will receive special attention, and the committee will guarantee that all Lords’ nitis (rituals) are carried out smoothly.
Following the handover of treasures, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will conduct conservation work in the inner chamber.
On July 14, after nearly 46 years, the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar was opened at 1:28 p.m. in the presence of Orissa HC Judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administrator (SJTA) Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak, Ratna Bhandar monitoring committee member Dr CBK Mohanty, Ratna Bhandar sub-committee member Durga Dasmohapatra, monitoring panel member Jagannath Dasmohapatra, and a representative of Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaja.
