The Ratna Bhandar or the treasury of the Lord Jagannath Mandir in Puri, Odisha was opened on Sunday according to the Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) after 46 years. It was last opened in 1978. The Odisha government gave the approval on Saturday, after which an 11 member committee was set up for the procedure.
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What’s the Ratna Bhandar ?
The Ratna Bhandar, also known as the treasury of the temple, is said to contain a variety of the most unique jewellery, which consists of diamonds, gold, and valuable gemstones. The outer chamber was opened every year for the auspicious ‘Suna Bhesha’ ( where the idols are dressed up in gold) but the inner chambers were last opened in 1978 and there were a fear that the artefacts might have been in a bad condition and thus, the decision to open the inner chambers was taken by the government.
What does the Ratna Bhandar store inside it?
In 1805, Charles Grome, who was serving as the Puri Collector at the time, compiled a record of the 1,333 ornaments kept in the inner chamber. There are rumours that the chambers contain 128 gold coins, 1,297 silver coins, 106 copper coins, and 24 old gold coins.
The most recent inventory, conducted in 1978, indicated that the hoard contained 454 different types of gold decorations weighing 12,883 ‘bhari’ and 293 types of silver decorations weighing 22,153 ‘bhari’.
Re-opening of Bhitara Bhandar
The ‘Bhitara Bhandar’ was reopened in 1985 for the purpose of repairing gold. Still, there was no inventory taken of the items on this occasion. Ex-temple administrator Rabindra Narayan Mishra, who was among the team that entered the inner treasury, informed OTV in 2022 that he witnessed a minimum of 15 wooden chests holding valuable items like gold, silver, diamonds, sapphires, pearls, rubies, and other precious gemstones.
People included in the opening of the Bhandar
A Committee of 11 members was formed by the government after the approval on Saturday. It consisted of the Former Orissa High Court judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a delegate from Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’ were present. Additionally, Patjoshi Mohapatra, Bhandar Mekap, Chadhaukarana, and Deulikaran, who were temple servitors, also gained access to the Ratna Bhandar.
Myth behind the Ratna Bhandar
There was a popular myth about snakes guarding the inner chambers of the Ratna Bhandar. Thus, snake charmers were taken inside the chamber. The myth was debunked when there were no snakes found in the treasury.
Missing keys
From the 1980s onward, the temple administration has attempted to unlock the inner chamber on two occasions without success. In April 2018, a group of 16 people, which included three members of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), tried to access the inner treasury but couldn’t find the keys.
Procedure of opening
The ceremony of ‘Agnya’, asking for permission to reopen the Ratna Bhandar, was finished in the morning. Teams with specific expertise will first choose a favourable moment, referred to as ‘Suba Bela’, to unlock the treasury with a copy of the key controlled by the Puri administration. Should this method not work, the magistrate will supervise the procedure of breaking the lock.
Officials’ address to the media
“We successfully accessed the outer Ratna Bhandar, and all the ornaments have been securely shifted to a temporary strongroom located at ‘Changada Ghara’ and ‘Phula Ghara,’” Padhee said in a media statement following the Ratna Bhandar’s opening.
“After that, the authorised individuals went into the Treasury’s inner chamber. There were three locks. The key that was kept with the district administration was ineffective for opening any locks. Thus, in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), we entered the inner chamber after breaking the three locks in front of a magistrate. We looked over the valuables that were stored in the chests and almirahs,” Padhee was cited by PTI.
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Further proceedings
For now, as the officials are busy with the ‘Bahuda Yatra’ and ‘Suna Besha’, the chamber was locked again and the key was handed over to the Magistrate of Puri. After the ceremonies of Rath Yatra end, the chamber will be opened again and the valuables inside will be shifted to the temporary chambers made by the committee.
About the Author
Ms Eesha Priyadarshini, a civil services aspirant, is currently studying political science in LSR, DU. She likes covering news related to politics, religion and international relations with utmost neutrality and sincerity.
