BHUBANESWAR/PURI: The Bhitara Bhandar or inner chamber of Shree Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar will be opened again on July 18 for shifting of the ornaments, jewels and other valuables to the strongroom inside the 12th century shrine.
After shifting of all the contents, the entire Ratna Bhandar will be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to examine the structure and carry out repairs for its conservation.
This was decided at a meeting of the 11-member core committee that had entered the Ratna Bhandar on July 14, on Tuesday. Speaking to The New Indian Express, committee chairman Justice Biswanath Rath said the auspicious time for carrying out the work in Bhitara Bhandar on Thursday is from 9.51 am to 12.25 pm. The committee will enter the temple at around 8.51 am. After a series of rituals, the two new locks of the Bhitara Bhandar will be opened at 9.51 am and the process of shifting the jewels and ornaments will begin.
“However, before shifting, we will take some precautions. Since the almirahs and chests in the inner chamber haven’t been opened for decades, there is a possibility that there may be insects, gases or thick layers of dust inside them. Those will be cleaned first by some experts. Everything would be videographed to record the position in which all the storage units are inside the chamber,” he said.
The contents will be shifted almirah-wise to the temporary strongroom in Khata Seja Ghara by the side of Bahara Bhandar gate. The Bhitara Bhandar walls are lined with steel and wooden almirahs and wooden chests. Besides, big boxes were kept on the floor. “The contents of each almirah and chest will be counted, photographed and videographed and then shifted to almirahs and chests kept in the strongroom. However, the long boxes on the chamber’s floor will be taken to the strongroom as it is because similar boxes of the exact length and width could not be created,” he said.
Since the almirahs and chests are in dilapidated state and locks on them appear very old, the government in its SOP has allowed the committee to break open the locks in case their keys are not found or do not match.
The committee has asked the district administration to get the keys of the storage units from the treasury. “We will try and complete the entire shifting process on the same day,” Justice Rath said.
Temple chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee three new locks have been readied for the temporary strongroom which will be sealed in presence of the magistrate. Also, locks have been prepared for each almirah and chest where the contents will be stored. Keys of both the Bhitara Bhandar (two locks) and the strongroom will be deposited in the treasury.
The strongroom has been strengthened with grills, installation of lights, CCTVs and fire safety equipment. The old almirahs and chests of the inner chamber may be shifted to a museum but a decision on this will be taken later, he said.
Amidst the shifting process, officials of Archaeological Survey of India will be allowed to enter the chamber for some time for preliminary assessment of the structural damages. Police will frisk everyone who enters the Bhitara Bhandar and no one will be allowed to enter wearing any gold or silver chain or any other metal.
There will be restriction on entry of devotees into Srimandir from 8 am for smooth conduct of the process. Only servitors responsible for rituals inside the temple and designated persons will be allowed to remain in the temple. Like last time, members of Snake Helpline, medical team, OSDMA and ODRAF personnel will be present in the temple, he said.