Puri: Amid the furore over the missing Ratnabhandar key, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) is mulling to once again keep the gold and silver received in hundi (donation box) in a locker maintained with the State Bank of India (SBI) branch here.
According to sources, the donation box was installed at Srimandir August 23, 1983. The gold and silver collected from the hundi had been kept in the bank locker until 1993-94 when the temple administration ceased the practice and kept these in a safe maintained by it.
However, in an attempt to ensure transparency and safety of the ornaments, the temple administration would collect these from the hundi and deposit them in the locker maintained with the SBI once or twice every two months. To begin with, the SJTA administrator (development) and najir Thursday took stock of the SBI locker.
After paying obeisance to the deities, devotees donate gold, silver and cash to the Lord. They are put in the hundi which has been installed at the Srimandir Natamandap. Although the cash details in the donation box are being updated on the Srimandir information board, the authorities do not share information regarding ornaments received in the hundi.
According to sources, Srimandir has received 18 kg 261 gram 536 milligram gold and 119 kg 78 gram 624 milligram silver in the hundi till January 31 this year.
According to sources, ever since a donation box was installed for the first time at Srimandir August 23, 1983, the temple has received the highest quantity of gold (1kg 323gram and 95 milligram) in 2009. Likewise, the devout have donated the highest quantity of silver (11kg 944gram and 45 milligram) to Srimandir in 1992.
This apart, the 12th century shrine received huge quantities of gold and silver by way of donations during the two Nabakalebara festivals in the past 34 years. “The temple hundi received 237 gram 45 milligram gold and 1kg 309 gram 5milligram silver in the 1996 Nabakalebara, while Srimandir received 961gram 836 milligram gold and 7kg 489 milligram silver during the 2015 Nabakalebara.
The temple management has faced flak from several quarters over its hundi management. Allegations also have surfaced about the mismanagement of donations.