The long-awaited Rathna Bhandar counting began inside the Jagannath Temple in Puri on March 25.
For the first time since 1978, an independent representative team entered the temple during the auspicious Mahendra Bela to begin the inventory of Lord Jagannath’s ornaments.
Led by Justice Biswanath Rath, the team included Chief Administrator Dr Arabinda Padhee, Collector Dibyajyoti Parida, SP Prateek Singh, temple officials, geologists, goldsmiths, and RBI officers. Members offered prayers at the Singhadwar before entering the temple. Strict protocols were enforced: only handling team members entered the Rathna Bhandar, while mobile phones and metallic objects were prohibited.
The auspicious time lasted from 12:09 pm to 1:45 pm. Devotees were allowed darshan from outside the temple during the process. The Standard Operating Procedure ensured that daily rituals and devotees’ access were not disrupted.
The inventory will first cover ornaments used in daily rituals, followed by stored ornaments in movable and immovable sections. The new list will be compared with the 1978 records. Temple servitor Sarat Mohanty explained that ornaments were occasionally taken out for the reconstruction of deities and that devotees have donated gold, silver, and precious stones over the years. The final list will reveal whether the collection has grown or reduced.
