Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), July 9: The 16-member committee chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath proposed on Tuesday to open the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on July 14. However, this proposal awaits approval from the state government.
The decision to consider opening the Ratna Bhandar was made during the second meeting of the reconstituted high-level committee, led by retired Orissa High Court Justice Rath, tasked with overseeing the inventorying of valuables, including jewelry, stored in the treasury after 46 years.
Justice Rath informed reporters, “The temple managing committee will convene to discuss the proposal, which will then be forwarded to the state government. The Ratna Bhandar can only be opened upon receiving government clearance.”
He further stated that the committee was tasked with formulating a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the process. “After detailed deliberation, an unanimous decision was made to request the government to unlock the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar on July 14. An SOP has been prepared for both repair work and the inventory count of valuables,” Justice Rath elaborated.
Regarding the opening procedure, he mentioned, “If the lock cannot be opened with the existing key, it will be necessary to break it.”
Ahead of the committee meeting, the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) was directed to submit the key of the Ratna Bhandar, currently held at the Puri district treasury.
Justice Rath assured, “Devotees will not be denied the darshan of the deities during the Ratna Bhandar opening,” and appealed for devotees’ cooperation.
