The Ratna Bhandar Supervisory Committee met at the Shree Mandir Administration office in Puri and finalised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for reopening the inner chamber of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar and conducting a detailed inventory of priceless ornaments and valuables.
Retired Justice Biswanath Rath chaired the session, which followed earlier sub-committee discussions. After the deliberations, the committee agreed to forward the SOP and schedule to the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and then to the Odisha government for approval. All members attended, underscoring the importance of transparency, security, and adherence to temple traditions during the process.
The Ratna Bhandar, located inside the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple—one of Hinduism’s Char Dham sites—houses jewels, gold, and silver offerings donated by devotees and royalty over centuries. For decades, the inner chamber has remained sealed, with the last major inventory conducted in 1978. Meanwhile, demands for a fresh audit have intensified amid concerns over documentation and preservation.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi prioritised the reopening as part of broader efforts to modernise temple management while respecting rituals. In response to petitions, the Orissa High Court directed the formation of the supervisory committee to ensure a systematic and videographed inventory.
