A high-level meeting chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath was held on Saturday to discuss the inventory and counting of treasures in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
There is optimism that the process could be completed well before the 2026 Rath Yatra. The meeting resulted in the preparation of an 11-page guideline document, with the inventory planned to occur in three phases without disrupting the temple’s daily rituals or devotee darshan.
The proposal for the inventory, initially drafted by the law sub-committee, was discussed in detail during the meeting. It will now be presented to the temple’s managing committee for further deliberation before being sent to the state government for approval.
Shree Jagannath Temple’s Chief Administrator, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, confirmed that Lord Jagannath’s rituals (niti kanti) will remain unaffected, and devotees will be able to have darshan from the outer wooden barricade (bahar katha).
The comprehensive guideline outlines a three-phase approach to the inventory. In the first phase, movable treasures from the Ratna Bhandar will be counted and verified. This will be followed by the outer Ratna Bhandar in the second phase, and finally, the inner Ratna Bhandar in the third phase.
During the inner Bhandar’s inventory, representatives from the managing committee, servitors, an RBI official, and a designated goldsmith servitor will be present. The process will involve cross-verification with the 1978 inventory report.
To ensure transparency and security, the entire inventory will be videographed. Authorised personnel will undergo strict checks, and all treasures, including gold ornaments, will be digitised for records. Post-inventory, the keys to the inner Ratna Bhandar will be deposited in the district treasury.
This development follows previous actions: The Ratna Bhandar was opened on July 14, 2024, with initial transfers of ornaments from the outer section. An iron chest was relocated on August 23, 2024, and a special ASI team conducted inspections on September 24, 2024. Based on their report, repair works began on December 17, 2024, and continued until April 28, 2025.
The meeting was attended by key figures, including Chief Administrator Dr Padhee, District Collector Dibyajyoti Parida, SP Prateek Singh, Chattisha Niyog Mahanayak Janardan Patjoshi Mahapatra, along with managing committee members, temple servitors such as Deula Karana and Bhandar Mekap, and other stakeholders.
While the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been drafted, it is not yet finalised and will be forwarded to the government after management committee discussions. Public darshan will continue uninterrupted during the inventory, with identity cards issued to authorised servitors.
