BHUBANESWAR: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will carry out laser scanning of Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath temple at Puri this month to ascertain its structural stability.
Superintending archaeologist of ASI, Puri Circle, Dibishida Gadnayak informed The New Indian Express the work will begin on November 28 and ASI will conduct laser scanning of the outer wall of Ratna Bhandar as well as its northern wall which is the point of conjunction between the Ratna Bhandar and the main temple.
Although Srimandir was built in the 12th century, Ratna Bhandar is a later addition to the temple. “The northern wall of the Ratna Bhandar is the one which joins it with the main shrine and since this is a later addition to the temple, we want to see its external structural condition. No date has been assigned to the structure,” he said. The Ratna Bhandar is located in the northern direction of the shrine.
The ASI will submit the laser scanning assessment report to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration which will place it before a sub-committee to decide upon the further course of action, said chief administrator of the SJTA Ranjan Das. The matter was discussed at a meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee on Saturday.
In September this year, the Orissa High Court had directed the state government to constitute a high-level panel, if approached by the Srimandir managing committee, to supervise the process of inventory of valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar.
“We haven’t taken any decision on that yet because we will have to wait for the laser scanning report of ASI to understand how safe the structure is. Only after receiving that report, we will decide upon the next course of action including doing an inventory of the jewelry and other valuables inside the Ratna Bhandar,” Das informed. Earlier in 2018 and 2022, the ASI had written to the SJTA seeking permission to examine and conserve the Ratna Bhandar.