BHUBANESWAR: The empty containers in Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath temple at Puri were shifted to a new room located beside the Niladri Vihar museum on the shrine premises on Friday.
A wooden door of the Bahara (outer) Bhandar had to be cut to take the chests outside. At 2 pm, the 12-member core committee entered the Ratna Bhandar to shift the almirahs and chests which stored the jewels and ornaments of the deities in both the Bahara and Bhitara Bhandar.
“Since the chests could not be taken out from the Bahara Bhandar because of their width, we had to cut a portion of the wooden door to carry them out,” said Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief Arabinda Padhee.
At the room adjacent to the Niladri Vihar museum, two different compartments were created to keep the almirahs and chests as per their placement in Ratna Bhandar. While the almirahs and chests of Bahara Bhandar were kept in one compartment, the containers of the Bhitara Bhandar were kept in another. Almost all the wooden almirahs are in dilapidated condition and have been taped. The Ratna Bhandar has four chests - two wooden and as many iron - all of the same size.
Padhee said a decision on if the old containers will be displayed as artefacts in Niladri Vihar museum is yet to be taken. After removing the almirahs and chests, the dust from the chambers have also been collected and packed, to be kept in strongrooms. He added that after completion of the shifting process, which lasted for close to three hours, the wooden door was fixed back in its position by a team of carpenters.
Meanwhile, following recommendation of the committee, the SJTA on Friday wrote to the DG, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on taking over the Ratna Bhandar to initiate scientific investigation, conservation, repair and restoration of the Ratna Bhandar chambers.
Ratna Bhandar inventorisation and preservation committee chairman Justice Biswanath Rath said the entire structure has completely been emptied for the ASI to begin its work at the earliest. He reiterated that even on the day after removing all the containers, no insect, reptile or any secret tunnel or chamber was noticed. “However, since there is a lot of rumour around it, there is a necessity to scientifically check the structure once again to put them to rest,” Justice Rath said.
Conservation work involves replacement of damaged wrought iron beams on the roof, a corbel arch and consolidation of the cracks on the walls of Ratna Bhandar.