Puri: The first day’s inventory work of Lord Jagannath’s most precious ornaments stored in the inner chamber of the Puri temple’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury) concluded Monday amid tight security arrangements both inside and outside the shrine, an official said.
Gold, diamonds, gems, silver and other valuables never seen by ordinary devotees are stored in the inner chamber. These are being catalogued in the third phase of the inventory, which will resume April 16.
The exercise, the first in 48 years, began March 25, and the daily-use ornaments of the deities were inventorised in the first phase.
The second phase, held between April 8 and 11, focused on the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, where festival ornaments and jewellery are stored.
Elaborate security measures have been made by the Puri district police in view of the exercise, officials said.
The authorities maintained strict access control, multi-layered security, deployment of striking forces at key locations, and standby teams of executive magistrates, fire services, medical staff, and anti-sabotage units.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said that the entire inventory process is being carried out with strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the state government.
“As per the SOP, the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar was opened in the presence of a magistrate and authorised persons after bringing the keys from the district treasury. The keys were again taken back to the treasury in police escort and deposited after completion of the day’s inventory,” Padhee said.
He said that Monday’s inventory work began at 12.25 pm and continued till 6 pm.
All the authorised persons, including Padhee and Ratna Bhandar Inventory High Level Committee Chairman Justice Biswntah Rath, underwent security check-up before entering the chamber.
The Ratna Bhandar, a secret place inside the 12th-century shrine, measures approximately 60 square metres, with a height of 11.78 metres.
Common devotees do not have the opportunity to see the valuables stored in the inner chamber, though they see those kept in the outer chamber during rituals like the ‘Suna Bhesa’ (golden attire) of the deities during Rath Yatra.
After completion of the day’s inventory, Padhee said that the entire process was documented through videography, photography, and 3D mapping to ensure transparency.
A digital catalogue of the ornaments was prepared and stored in separate treasure chests.
“The valuables were matched with the 1978 inventory list before beginning of the scientific inventory by using technology like 3D mapping. Reputed gemologists were present to identify the type of precious stones stored in the Ratna Bhandar,” he said.
The senior IAS officer said that the inventory will resume from April 16 and continue till April 18. There will be no such exercise Tuesday due to the Mahabishuba Sankaranti.
He said the temple rituals continue uninterrupted, and devotees are allowed darshan from the ‘Bahara Katha’ (outer barricade) for security reasons.
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