After 46 years, the treasured Ratna Bhandar (Treasury) of the Jagannath Temple has been opened today. The local CMO reported that the illustrious treasure of the 12th-century temple in Puri has finally been unlocked.
A detailed inventory of the jewelry and other valuable items contained within will now be compiled. Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan expressed the devotees' longstanding anticipation for this moment. All ornaments will undergo quality checks and weighing of precious items will be performed while a medical team and the snake helpline were present.
A committee has been established by the state government to oversee the inventory process of these invaluable items. This committee, chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath who stated that the Jagannath Temple's treasure has been revealed. The former High Court Justice announced that the location where the items will be temporarily stored is also determined.
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In the temple premises, police vehicles along with metal detectors and a snake helpline team were present. A high-level meeting was also conducted by the Ratna Bhandar (Treasury) Committee. Specialists in snake handling were there. Large trunks were brought in for the temple's treasury. SP Pinak Mishra was present with his team alongside Priest Madhav Puja Panda Samanta.
Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), DB Gadnayak, mentioned that engineers will inspect the Ratna Bhandar for restoration work. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) installed lights inside the treasury. It's suspected that there may be snakes inside the treasure. Shubhendu Malik, a member of the snake helpline, explained that they've arrived per the directions of the state government. Two teams for catching snakes are on-site, one inside the temple and the other outside.
Source: aajtak
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Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that the state government had discussed an SOP with the temple management committee. Necessary steps are being taken based on the guidelines. Ashok Kumar Mohapatra, chief administrator of the SJTA, is entrusted with the responsibility. A digital photography of the treasury's ornaments will be undertaken.
The minister asserted that the RBI's assistance is being sought to maintain transparency over the list of jewels. RBI representatives will be present during the compilation. They will work along with a team constituted by the management committee. There are different teams for each task.
Source: aajtak
A specialist team led by the chief administrator of the SJTA has been formed for the Ratna Bhandar. They include experts from the ASI, servants, the management committee, and representatives of the High Power Committee.
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The last inventory process took over 70 days to complete. Harichandan ensured that neither rituals nor temple visits would be affected by the inventory process. While the previous BJD government did not open the treasury in their 24-year rule, the BJP government accomplished it within a month of taking office. The completion of the process is surrended to the divine will of Lord Jagannath.
