The esteemed Lord Jagannath Temple's treasury has been unlocked today. Previous attempts in 2018 were shelved, while the last peering into this trove in 1985 revealed crowns of monarchs and treasure-laden chests. The Ratna Bhandar is home to the opulent jewels and ceremonial utensils of deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.
These artifacts date back to the 12th century, marking offerings from that era's monarchs and devotees. Divided into two sections, the treasure house has both an accessible outer chamber and a mysterious inner chamber.
The outer repository is opened periodically for adorning the deities during festivals, but the inner sanctum has been untouched for 46 years, with its last documented access in 1978. Curiously, it was opened again in 1985, but the intentions and contents have since been kept secret.
Source: aajtak
What riches lie within?
In 2018, former Law Minister Pratap Jena disclosed in the assembly that during its last glimpse in 1978, the Ratna Bhandar housed an approximate 12,500 bhari of embellished gold jewels and silverware exceeding 22,000 bhari, with many more invaluable items unweighed.
The Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath Temple holds centuries of contributions from the zealous faithful and past royalty. Its last opening occurred on July 14, 1985, remaining a place of devotion and deep-seated belief amongst the people of Odisha.
In 2018, the Odisha High Court directed the opening of this vault for inspection. Notwithstanding, the strain heightened across the state as the chamber's keys were found to be misplaced. Despite being poised for exploration, the mission into the treasury's chief chamber faltered.
Source: aajtak
The chamber keys, expectedly in the custody of the Puri collector, were absent, triggering an uproar that invited the Chief Minister's intervention. Subsequently, an inquiry committee disclosed a mysterious envelope inscribed with 'Duplicate keys of the inner Ratna Bhandar', but the exhaustive report's contents stay undisclosed. The enigma enveloping Odisha's Ratna Bhandar isn't solitary; another fabled temple in India harbors its own door of secrets.
Kerala's opulent Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, which teems with unfathomed riches, sports six opened vaults while the seventh stands resolute, commanding the fascination of historians and thrill-seeking travelers. As Emily Hatch's guidebook delves into the temple's beguiling vaults, so does the lure of its seventh, unyielding door.
