Odisha govt reopens Ratna Bhandar inner chamber

Bhubaneswar, July 18: The inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, the treasure trove of the Holy Trinity, was re-opened at 9:51 a.m. today, following the government's scheduled plan and protocols.

Justice Biswanath Rath, head of the Ratna Bhandar inventorisation committee, announced on Tuesday that the chamber would be opened between 9:51 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on July 18.

Collector and District Magistrate of Puri, Siddharth Shankar Swain, stated, "The inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar was opened with an 11-member committee overseeing the transfer of valuables and ornaments of Lord Jagannath and His siblings to a temporary strong room in Khata-Seja Ghara, which will then be sealed."

The keys to the Ratna Bhandar, apart from the outer chamber, will be sent to the district treasury. For security reasons, the general public and unauthorized servitors were not allowed into the Shree Mandir premises from 8 a.m. onwards.

Throughout the process, special attention will be given to temple rituals, ensuring the smooth facilitation of all ceremonies of the Lords by the committee.After the transfer of valuables, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will begin conservation work inside the inner chamber.

The inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar was previously opened on July 14 at 1:28 p.m. after nearly 46 years, in the presence of Orissa High Court Judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak, Ratna Bhandar monitoring committee member Dr. CBK Mohanty, Ratna Bhandar sub-committee member Durga Dasmohapatra, monitoring panel member Jagannath Dasmohapatra, and a representative of Puri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaja.