BHUBANESWAR: Inventory of jewels and ornaments inside the Bhitara Bhandar of Srimandir’s Ratna Bhandar may require over a month’s time, said Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan on Wednesday.
Speaking to mediapersons at Puri, the minister said after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) completes the repair works of the Ratna Bhandar, the jewels and ornaments would be brought back from the Khata Seja Ghara - the temporary strongroom for valuables of inner chamber - to the Bhitara Bhandar where these will be examined for inventory. “This inventory process is likely to continue for a period of 30 to 40 days,” he said.
Meanwhile, as decided by the 11-member core committee, the Bhitara Bhandar will be opened again on Thursday and the temple will remain out of bounds for devotees from 8 am. Only Singhadwara or the Lion’s Gate will remain open while the north, south and west gates of the shrine will be closed.
Only after shifting of all the valuables from Bhitara Bhandar to the temporary strongroom, the Ratna Bhandar will be handed over to ASI for repair and conservation work. “As per the SOP, the keys to Bhitara Bhandar will not be handed over to the ASI entirely. Whenever needed, the keys would be brought from the treasury and locks sealed after the day’s work,” said temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee. Inventory is the fourth phase of this entire exercise, he added.
The last inventory in 1978 had continued for a period of 70 days. A nine-member committee headed by the then Governor of Odisha BD Sharma was formed in April, 1978 to inquire into the temple affairs and recommend measures for improvement of temple administration and its properties. Under Rule 5 (2) of the Shri Jagannath Temple Rules-1960, the committee did an inventory of the Ratna Bhandar that year from May 13 to July 23.