Valuables from 'Bhitar Ratna Bhandar' in Shri Jagannath Temple will be shifted to temporary Ratna Bhandar today: Official
Jul 18, 2024
Puri (Odisha) [India], July 18 : The Puri district administration said on Thursday that all the valuables and ornaments from the inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar (Treasure Trove) of Shri Jagannath Temple will be shifted to the temporary Ratna Bhandar as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the government today.
"Today, all the valuables and ornaments from the 'Bhitar Ratna Bhandar' will be shifted to the temporary Ratna Bhandar, as per SOPs laid down by the government," Puri Collector and District Magistrate Siddharth Shankar Swain told reporters on Thursday.
As per Swain, a group of 11 members will enter the inner chambers of the Ratna Bhandar and will open it between 9:51 am and 12:15 pm, today. He further stated that this group would be responsible for the inventorization of the valuables in Ratna Bhandar and would enter the chamber to carry out the temporary transfer.
"Our group of 11 members will enter the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar and will open it again between 9:51 am and 12:15 pm on Thursday, to transfer ornaments to a temporary treasury set up," Swain said on Wednesday.
On Sunday, July 14, the Ratna Bhandar of the Shri Jagannath Temple was re-opened after over four decades. Justice Biswanath Rath, Inspection Committee Chairman, said that the outer bhandar was opened on that day, but the authorities will try after 5-6 days to open the inner bhandar.
"We have just visualised the position there. Since we were there for five hours and did not have time, we thought it was appropriate to reseal it using new locks. We have decided that we will be sitting after 5-6 days to get inside the inner Bhandar and to take stock of the ornaments," he said.
The Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannatha Temple Office, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said that all the valuables from the outer bhandar were shifted to the temporary strong room on Sunday.
"The outer Ratna Bandar was opened at the beginning. All the valuables were shifted to the temporary strong room. Thereafter, we opened the inner Ratna Bhandar as well. As per the SOP, we broke open the lock of the inner Ratna Bhandar, and then all the members went around the inner store of valuables. The videography recordings are only for our record purposes, not for any publicity or any media purpose," Padhee said.
Special boxes were also brought to Shri Jagannath Temple ahead of the re-opening of 'Ratna Bhandar'.
