The second phase of the historic Ratna Bhandar counting at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri will begin on Wednesday, April 8 and continue till April 11. The process will then resume on April 13, and from April 16 to 18, the temple administration announced today.
During the entire counting period, the daily Niti (rituals) of Lord Jagannath will continue uninterrupted. Authorised Palia Sevaks will have free access to the Jagamohan and Garbhagriha to perform the rituals as usual.
In view of strict security arrangements, darshan for the general public will be restricted. Devotees will only be allowed darshan from the outer side; entry near the inner wooden structure will remain closed.
The SJTA Chief Administrator, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has appealed to all devotees and the public for complete cooperation in the Ratna Bhandar counting of Mahaprabhu, just as they extended during the first phase.
The temple administration has clarified that dates for subsequent phases of the counting will be announced after the current phase is completed.
The first phase of the counting began on March 25 under the guidelines approved by the Odisha government. A special team headed by Justice Biswanath Rath carried out the inventory of the jewel ornaments and other valuable items inside the temple.
The entire exercise was documented through videography, photography and 3D mapping. Once the full counting is over, the new inventory will be matched with the 1978 list and tagged for 2026.
