Long wait of 46 years; Ratna Bhandar of Puri Shree Jagannath Temple opened

PURI: The Puri Shree Jagannath Temple is the 10th richest temple in India. Now after more than 40 years after repeated demands, the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of the temple has been opened. The trove was opened at 1.28 in the afternoon.

Ratna Bhandar was opened following the instructions of Odisha Government. The government gave permission for this yesterday. Odisha Chief Minister's office announced through social media that the trove is being opened after 46 years. Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee Chief Arabinda Padhee informed that all visuals of the opening of the trove will be recorded. These videos will not be available to the public. He also clarified that it will be completely official.

Arabinda Padhee said that the trove will be opened in three phases. The outer gem vault will be opened first. There are specific instructions for opening the inner gem vault. There is a temporary strong room inside. After entering the strong room from the gem vault, the valuables inside will be examined. Mahaprabhu's blessings will be sought to open the Ratna Bhandar easily. He said that the rest of the procedures will follow.

Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of the inspection committee, said that the trove was opened at 1.28 pm following the instructions of the priests and Mukti Mandapa. Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that the accounting of the items inside the treasury will be under the supervision of the Reserve Bank representative and a digital record will be made when the accounting is over.

The Jagannath Temple at Puri in the 12th century was built by Anantavarman Chodaganga, a king of the Ganga Empire. The question of what is in the temple's gem treasury has been rife for the past 45 years. The Ratna Bhandara, which houses many treasures, was last opened in 1978. As per the temple law, the treasure trove is to be opened every three years, but it is not followed.

Bank deposits in the name of the temple are Rs 600 crores. When the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) was opened and inspected in 1978, 128 kg of gold ornaments and 221 kg of silver vessels were found. The gold offered by the devotees is kept in another bank. Also, 60,426 acres of land in Odisha and 322.9 acres of land in six other states have been registered in the name of Lord Jagannath. However, the exact information about how much gold, silver and other savings are currently present in Ratna Bhandar is not available.