Ornaments to be brought back to Ratna Bhandar on Sept 23

Puri: The authorities at Puri Jagannath temple have decided to shift the valuables and ornaments of the Lord from a temporary strong room to the original ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (treasury) on September 23. Jewellery and other precious items stored in iron chests and almirahs had been shifted to the temporary facility inside the temple premises in July 2024 when the Ratna Bhandar was reopened after four decades for repair.

It was announced in July this year that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed repair of the 12th-century shrine’s ‘Ratna Bhandar’. As the repair work is complete, the valuables will be stored back in their original places, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters on Wednesday.

“It has been decided to shift the Lord’s valuables to the original Ratna Bhandar during the auspicious time between 7.17 am and 11.17 am on September 23,” Padhee said. Replying to a question, Padhee said during the shifting, rituals will not be affected, but public ‘darshan’ will be regulated on the day. “If the shifting is not completed on September 23, it will continue on September 24,” he said, adding that a magistrate will remain present during the shifting to ensure a smooth process.

After the ornaments are stored in the permanent Ratna Bhandar, the chambers will be sealed in the presence of designated persons, and the key will be deposited in the district treasury. The inventory of the valuables will be finalised by the temple management committee headed by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of Puri, Padhee said.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a proposal to shift the ‘hundi’ (donation box) from the ‘Nata Mandap’ of the temple for making the row ‘darshan’ for devotees in a new format.

He said due to the presence of the ‘hundi,’ row ‘darshan’ was not possible. The date to shift the ‘hundi’ will be finalised after consultation with the temple administration and the Puri District Collector.