Puri: The long-awaited inventory of valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will begin Wednesday under tight security, officials said.
The exercise will be carried out during an auspicious time between 12.09 pm and 1.45 pm, during which the inventory team will enter the treasury to undertake counting and verification of ornaments and other precious items.
Authorities have put in place multi-layered security arrangements, while the entire process will be documented through videography, photography and 3D mapping to ensure transparency, they said.
The initial phase will focus on movable assets, which will be compared with the last inventory conducted in 1978. This will include detailed cataloguing of gold and silver ornaments as well as other valuable materials kept in the temple treasury.
As part of the procedure, gold ornaments will be wrapped in yellow velvet cloth and stored in tin boxes inside chests. Silver items will be covered in white or silver-coloured cloth, while other valuables will be secured using red velvet fabric, officials said.
A team of experts, including two specialists from the Reserve Bank of India, a representative of UCO Bank and temple goldsmiths, has been engaged for the valuation and verification of gold, gemstones and other items.
The inventory will be conducted in accordance with guidelines issued by the Odisha government. The process will not be carried out on special occasions, festivals, Saturdays or Sundays.
Devotees will be allowed to have darshan from outside barricaded areas during the exercise, ensuring that temple rituals and regular activities continue uninterrupted, officials added.
