Puri temple treasures inventory likely next Year: Justice Rath

The inventory of the valuables stored in the Puri Jagannath temple’s treasury is likely to begin early next year, Justice Biswanath Rath said on Wednesday.

Rath, the chairman of the high-level committee set up for the purpose, said the exact dates are yet to be decided. “We are aiming to start the inventory of valuables in the Ratna Bhandar by January. However, the dates have not been decided yet. The committee will discuss the matter on December 27,” he told reporters in Cuttack.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s (SJTA) chief, Arabinda Padhee, said the meeting on December 27 will deliberate on the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the inventorisation of ornaments and valuables of the Ratna Bhandar. The previous inventory of the valuables was conducted in 1978. The process required 72 days for completion.

Justice Rath said that in the upcoming inventory, the committee will count all the items stored in the Ratna Bhandar. “For security reasons, the counting will be done inside the inner chamber of the treasury. This inventory will be tallied with that of 1978,” he said.

The Ratna Bhandar was reopened in 2024 after four decades for repair works, which were completed in July this year. The valuables were taken back to the treasury after the completion of the work.

Justice Rath said the inventory will be held, keeping in mind the rituals of the temple.

“We will aim to complete it in less than last time’s 72 days. The previous inventory was conducted by lighting an earthen lamp. This time, we have electric light. Therefore, the inventory can be done easily,” he said.

The ornaments and other valuables in the treasury will be digitised, he added.

Another SJTA official said the December 27 meeting will lay the groundwork for how these valuables will be handled, weighed, and documented without causing any disruption to the daily ‘Niti-Kanti’ or rituals of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra.

Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, headed by the ‘Gajapati Maharaja’ of Puri, Dibyasingh Deb, will review the SOP to ensure it aligns with the temple’s ancient traditions.

State Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, meanwhile, claimed the inventory process may take about four months.