Historic Moment: After forty-six years, an 11-member team entered the Puri Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar on Sunday to conduct an inventory and restoration. This action fulfilled a promise made by the newly elected BJP government. Due to the absence of keys to the inner chamber, which had become a contentious political issue, the locks were broken to gain entry. A large number of devotees gathered outside the shrine to witness the significant event.

The inventory of valuables is on hold while the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) restores the Ratna Bhandar, which has developed cracks. Arabinda Padhee, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), mentioned that the valuables from the outer chamber have been moved to a temporary strongroom, while the valuables from the inner chamber will be transferred later.

Sources revealed that at least five wooden chests and seven almirahs were found in the inner chamber, but the boxes were not opened. Six large wooden chests from Bhubaneswar were brought to Puri for storage, with nine more being constructed. The inventory will commence once the restoration is completed. Security measures, including police presence and CCTV surveillance, have been implemented around the Ratna Bhandar and the temporary strongroom.

The last inventory of Ratna Bhandar, conducted in 1978, was deemed inconclusive. Records indicate the discovery of approximately 128 kg of gold and 221 kg of silver items during that inventory. On Sunday, the team managed to open the outer chamber’s three locks with available keys, but had to break the inner chamber’s locks due to non-functional duplicate keys. The original keys were reported missing in 2018, hindering the inventory process and drawing criticism for the previous BJD government. New locks have been installed on the inner chamber door.

This event is seen as a major achievement for the BJP government, which had prioritized reopening Ratna Bhandar. It follows the recent decision to open all four gates of the Jagannath Temple, previously restricted since March 2020. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed optimism about the successful outcome of this endeavor.