Puri: Puri Srimandir Managing Committee Member Sudarsan Pattnaik on Wednesday wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi urging him to instruct the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take immediate repair and maintenance work of the inner Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) chamber of the Lord Jagannath Temple.
“Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is mandated to repair and maintain this classical temple as necessary. In 2018, the technical committee of ASI inspected the inner Ratna Bhandar Chamber (Bhandara Ghara) and found many structural problems/damages in the walls, ceiling, and in overall basement structure. They had recommended immediate repair the issues to fix them. It has not been acted upon even after 6 long years thus the damages might have further deteriorated by now. The laser scanning done in February 2024 also detected cracks on the outside of Ratna Bhandar,” he wrote in his letter to the Odisha CM.
He continued, “I pray your honour on behalf of devotees of the Mahaprabhu, to instruct ASI to take up the repair and maintenance work of inner Ratna Bhandar immediately, as the forthcoming monsoon may cause further damage and threaten the integrity of entire temple structure.”