Puri: The managing committee of Shree Jagannath here Friday resolved to recommend Odisha government open the deity’s ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (treasury) for physical inspection of the structure by ASI during the 2024 Rath Yatra.
The meeting, which was chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deb discussed ASI’s letter which requested the temple authorities for giving it permission to conduct a survey of the inner chamber of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, which has remained closed for about 45 years.
Puri district Collector Samarth Verma, who is also the deputy chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), said that the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had sent a letter to the SJTA chief administrator to inspect the ‘Ratna Bhandar’.
“After a detailed discussion at the managing committee meeting, it has been decided to write to the state government to allow ASI to inspect the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar during Rath Yatra when the sibling deities are at the Gundicha Temple for nine days,” Verma told reporters.
A technical committee will be formed which will include members of the managing committee, some servitors, and members of the ASI which will use modern scientific methods to assess the condition of the diety’s treasury, he said.
The ASI will present the report of the inspection in the next managing committee meeting, Verma said.
The committee has also decided to send a formal request to the state government to form a high-level committee with a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court to supervise the entire operation of reopening and repair of the inner Ratna Bhandar, he said.
It, however, did not take any decision on whether the inventory of the Lord’s ornaments will be made during the opening of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar. The previous inventory of the ornaments was made in 1978.
The Temple Managing Committee’s decision assumes significance as it comes amid the growing demand for opening the Ratna Bhandar and inventory of valuable ornaments of the deity.
Apart from opposition political parties, different socio-cultural and religious outfits have been demanding an inventory of the Lord’s ornaments which had remained inside the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar.
Though the Ratna Bhandar was opened for inspection in April 2018, the 17-member team including experts of the ASI had entered only the outer chamber. They could not go into the inner chamber as its key was missing and inspected the structure from a distance. They later reported that the condition of the wall of the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar was weak and there was water seepage.
The SJTA in an affidavit filed before the Orissa High Court had reportedly stated that the Ratna Bhandar of the shrine was opened and complete inventory done in 1978. The treasury was estimated to have around 1.5 quintal of gold and over 184 kg of silver, it said.
PTI
