Puri, Odisha: The Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will be opened for another inventory of its valuables on August 31 and September 1, the temple administration has announced.
The dates were selected keeping the temple’s festivals and daily rituals in mind. Officials said the inventory will follow the Standard Operating Procedure approved by the Odisha government, with steps taken to ensure that the regular activities of the temple are not disrupted.
The Ratna Bhandar is the temple’s treasury, where ornaments and other valuables associated with Lord Jagannath and the other deities are kept. Because of the religious importance of these items, the inventory is not simply a matter of counting jewellery and recording numbers.
Experts in precious stones and ornaments, along with other specialists, are expected to assist in the process. RBI officials and experienced goldsmiths are also expected to be part of the exercise.
A similar counting and weighing exercise, known as Ganati-Manati, was carried out in July. Jewellery associated with the deities and ornaments used during important rituals was examined, identified and documented. The process was also videographed for official records.
The upcoming inventory is therefore part of a larger effort to maintain a proper record of what is held inside the temple treasury.
For devotees, however, the Ratna Bhandar carries a meaning that goes beyond an official inventory. The treasury is closely tied to the long history of the Jagannath Temple and to traditions that have continued for generations.
That is also why the process has to be handled carefully.
The temple administration has asked servitors and devotees to cooperate during the two-day exercise so that the work can be completed smoothly without affecting the temple’s daily rituals and darshan.
The inventory on August 31 and September 1 will bring renewed attention to a part of the Srimandir that normally remains away from the public eye.
For the administration, it is a process of documentation and verification.
For Puri, it is also another chapter in the continuing effort to preserve and properly record a treasury connected to one of Odisha’s most important religious institutions.
