46 years on, 12th-century Jagannath Puri temple's treasure trove opened, ornaments relocated
Aditi Tandon
New Delhi, July 14
Awe and anticipation marked the historic opening of the secret chamber of Odisha’s 12th century Jagannath Puri temple on Sunday, with all eyes on what lies hidden inside the shrine’s treasure trove, last opened for cataloguing in 1978.
Opening of the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of the Jagannath Temple was one of the poll promises of the BJP, which won big in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state, ending the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD’s inexorable 24-year run this June.
RBI experts to be roped in
- Repair and cataloguing of jewels are the major objectives of the temple treasury reopening exercise
- Officials said the process of entry into the Ratna Bhandar and its reopening was videographed
- RBI experts will be roped in to support the inventory team; process of inventorisation will be digitally photographed
Apart from opening all four gates of the temple (all but one were shut since Covid-19), the BJP had in its manifesto pledged to reopen the Ratna Bhandar for repairs and fresh inventorisation of its valuables. The last inventory process, 46 years ago, had taken 70 days.
Historical references to the Ratna Bhandar reveal that the temple contains some 180 ranges of ornaments, including 74 forms of gold jewellery. The chamber of secrets houses ornaments donated to the presiding deities over centuries. Odisha CM’s office X handle on Sunday, in salutations to Lord Jagannath, made the announcement about the unlocking of the Ratna Bhandar.
“As per the wishes of Lord Jagannath, the Odia people, with ‘Odia pride’, have commenced an onward journey. As per the wishes of Lord Jagannath, four gates of the Jagannath Temple were earlier opened. Today, as per the Lord’s wishes, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 years for a greater purpose,” the Odisha CMO post said at 1.28 pm, the exact time priests had scheduled as “subh bela” (auspicious). The Ratna Bhandar was opened in the presence of members of the high-level committee the state government had earlier formed to examine whether to reopen the revered treasury.
The committee, chaired by former Orissa High Court judge Biswanath Rath, had recommended the reopening following which related SOPs for reopening and inventorisation were prepared.
Apart from Rath, other committee members, including Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, Archaeological Survey of India superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s titular king Gajapati Maharaja, oversaw the reopening process today.
Four servitors also went in to lead the rituals preceding the process. Padhee later said they reopened the Ratna Bhandar, which had outer and inner chambers, as per pre-decided SOPs.
“First, we opened the outer chamber and relocated ornaments to a temporary strongroom inside the temple. The strongroom has been sealed. Later, the inner chamber was accessed. None of the keys available with the Puri administration could unlock this chamber following which as per the SOPs, three locks were broken in the presence of a magistrate. Jewels were inspected and it was decided to defer the relocation of jewels as the process would be time consuming,” Padhee said, adding that a date would be fixed for shifting of inner chamber ornaments later.
The ASI also inspected the structure on Sunday to undertake repairs. Repair and cataloguing of jewels are major objectives of the temple treasury reopening exercise.
Officials said the process of entry into the Ratna Bhandar and its reopening was videographed. Asked when the inventorisation would start, Padhee said “after the state government’s approval in respect to the engagement of evaluators, goldsmiths and other experts”.
