Bhubaneswar: Ending all speculations, the Odisha government has announced that the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) at the Jagannath temple in Puri will be reopened on Sunday.
Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan informed media persons that the government has approved the standard operating procedure (SOP) for reopening the Ratna Bhandar for inventory and repair work. He stated that all aspects, including rituals, time, and precautions, have been taken into account while finalizing the SOP.
The minister confirmed that the Ratna Bhandar would be reopened on Sunday, with the exact timing to be decided by the chief administrator of the temple administration. An expert team, headed by the chief administrator, has been formed for this purpose. The team includes representatives from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), servitors, and others.
The Law Minister emphasized that the assistance of the RBI was sought to maintain transparency in the inventory of ornaments. RBI representatives will be present during the inventory process and will cooperate with the managing committee’s team.
Previously, the government had formed a 16-member committee headed by former Orissa High Court Judge Justice Biswanath Rath to monitor the opening of the Ratna Bhandar. The committee recommended its opening on July 14 and proposed a detailed SOP for the exercise. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the temple administration subsequently approved the committee’s recommendation.
Comments are closed.