Our Bureau
Puri, India
The Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, a Hindu place of worship, which had been closed for more than forty years, was reopened on Sunday. Ratna Bhandar, the treasure trove of the 12th-century temple in Puri, has been the center of attention since the Odisha Assembly elections that just took place.
As per authorities, the treasury was unlocked at 1.28 pm with 11 individuals present, including 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’. The authorities exited the bhandar at approximately 5:20 in the evening.
The treasury holds valuable gold and diamond jewelry dedicated to Lord Jagannath. As per reports, King Anangabhima Dev of Odisha contributed 2.5 lakh madhas (1 madha = 5.23 grams) of gold for creating jewelry for the deity. The Ratna Bhandar consists of two chambers called Bhitar and Bahar Bhandars (inner and outer treasuries). The outside vault contains Lord Jagannath’s suna mukuta and three gold necklaces (Haridakanthi Mali) weighing 120 tolas each. In the meantime, the internal vault contains nearly 74 gold ornaments, with each one weighing over 100 tolas, as mentioned in the report.
Additionally, the sources mention the existence of plates crafted from gold, diamonds, corals, and pearls. In addition to that, over 140 pieces of silver jewelry are also stored in the treasury. The outer chamber of the 12th-century shrine is only opened during special events like the Suna Besha ritual, but the treasury has not been inventoried since 1978.
Two groups of snake catchers were present at the temple when the committee members entered the treasure trove. There’s a belief that snakes are present in the treasury.
Before reopening, the committee also established three SOPs for the entire process. According to reports, one concerns the Ratna Bhandar’s reopening, the second pertains to managing the temporary Ratna Bhandar, and the third is about taking inventory of the valuables.
The government will create a digital inventory of the treasures in the Ratna Bhandar, including information like their weight and origin.
