Finally, a 16-member team inspected the roof, walls and floor of the Shree Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar (jewellery treasury) on Wednesday afternoon amid tight security.
The team comprising the Chief Administrator and Rituals Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) inspected the two outer stores while the inner Bhandar could not be inspected.
Tadau Karan Himanshu Pattnaik said the inspection was carried out as per the traditions and rituals. He further informed that cracks were observed in the roof of the Ratna Bhandar.
As per an earlier decision, there was no inventory of the jewelleries in the Ratna Bhandar.
All the members wore ‘Gamuchha’ and thoroughly checked by the Puri Superintendent of Police before getting inside the Ratna Bhandar.
The team included Tadau Karan and Deula Karan, Pattajoshi Mohapatra, Bhandar Mekap, representative of Puri Gajapati, Orissa High Court representative Justice NK Mohanty, Puri district Collector and SP, three engineers of the ASI, two officials of ASI’s technical core committee, GC Mitra and NC Pal, two members of Ratna Bhandar sub-committee, SJTA Chief Pradeep Jena and Chief Administrator (Rituals) Pradeep Kumar Das.
The president and the Secretary of the Chhatisa Nijog witnessed the opening of the Ratna Bhandar from Mukti Mandap.
The team was scanned as per the Satwalipi (record of rights). They were not allowed to take anything inside other a torchlight and a pair of spectacles. The whole process of checking, opening and return of members were videographed. The team was again frisked by police after completion of inspection.
later, the inner gate of Ratna Bhandar was locked and the key was handed over to Puri Treasury.
The Jagamohan repair work and afternoon rituals remained suspended.
About four platoons of police force were deployed at four gates of the Temple. Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and fire services personnel and two members of the snake helpline were present.
later, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb reviewed the inspection of the Ratna Bhanda with the members at the Special Circuit House in Bhubaneswar.