RATNA Bhandar, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, was reopened on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure, officials said. The members of a committee set up by the State Government for the purpose entered the temple around 12 pm, and after performing rituals, the treasury was reopened, they said. The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar became a major political issue during the recently held Assembly elections in the State. Targetting the then-ruling BJD over its missing keys, the BJP had promised that it would make efforts to reopen the treasury if it won the polls.

 

“On the wish of Lord Jagannath, the Odia community, with the identity of ‘Odia Asmita’, has started making efforts to move forward,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post on X in Odia. “On your wish, the four gates of the Jagannath temples were earlier opened. Today, on your wish, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 years for a greater purpose,” it said in the post, which was shared at 1.28 pm, the auspicious moment decided to reopen the treasury. Among the 11 people present when the treasury was reopened were former Orissa HC judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’, officials said. Also among them were four servitors, Patjoshi Mohapatra, Bhandar Mekap, Chadhaukarana and Deulikaran, who took care of the rituals, they said. Though the treasury was reopened, the inventory of valuables will not be carried out immediately, Padhee said before entering the temple. The ornaments and other valuables kept in the inner and outer chambers of the treasury would be moved to a temporary strong room in wooden chests, he said.