BHUBANESWAR: There are no secret chambers or tunnels in the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, according to Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
Speaking to media persons on Friday, Harichandan said, "As per the preliminary discussions with the scientists and experts involved in the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey, there are no secret chambers or tunnels in either the Bahara (outer) or Bhitara (inner) Bhandar of the temple treasury." The final GPR report is expected soon.
In September, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Hyderabad-based CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) conducted the GPR survey of the Ratna Bhandar.
The Minister further noted that the inventory of the jewels and ornaments of the deities will commence after the New Year. "Since the temple remains crowded throughout the day due to the Hindu month of Kartik, repair works can only be undertaken after Kartik Purnima. The ASI will need one to one-and-a-half months to complete the repairs," Harichandan explained.
He added, “After the repair work, all the jewels and ornaments kept in the temporary Bahara and Bhitara Bhandar will be relocated to the Ratna Bhandar. Inventory will be carried out inside the Ratna Bhandar in consideration of safety concerns and in accordance with the temple's established rules.”
The repair of both chambers will be executed by the ASI once the month of Kartik concludes. The final inventorisation report will be released after a review of the previous inventory list.