In a historic move, the inventory of the sacred and priceless treasury of Puri's Shri Jagannath Temple, known as the Ratna Bhandar, is finally expected to begin in January 2025. This comes after the chamber was reopened in July 2024, ending a 46-year period during which it remained sealed.
High-Level Committee Finalizes Auspicious Date and Procedures
A High-Level Committee (HLC), formed by the Odisha government in July 2023, is set to meet to finalize the date and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the monumental task. The committee, chaired by retired justice Biswanath Rath, is consulting the temple's Mukti Mandap scholars to select an auspicious date for the commencement of the process. Rath confirmed to journalists that the inventory is likely to start next month.
He clarified a crucial point: the exercise will not involve valuing the ancient ornaments. "Assessing the worth of these centuries-old treasures is neither required nor feasible," Rath stated. Instead, the focus will be solely on naming, weighing, counting, and cataloguing every item stored in both the inner and outer chambers of the Ratna Bhandar.
Meticulous Process to Span Several Months
The upcoming inventory is anticipated to be a complex and lengthy affair, expected to take between four to six months to complete. This contrasts with the last inventory, conducted over 71 days from May 13 to July 23, 1978. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan emphasized the need for thoroughness, citing the meticulous assessment required for nomenclature, cataloguing, and verification.
Two experts from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct the inventory. Temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee assured that Saturday's meeting will lay the groundwork for handling the valuables without disrupting the temple's daily rituals and the darshan system for devotees.
Verification Against the 1978 Records
A key objective of the new inventory is to cross-verify the findings with the last audited list prepared in 1978. The records from that year provide a detailed snapshot of the treasury's contents:
- Gold Items: 454 items, weighing 12,838 'bharis' (approximately 128–142 kg).
- Silver Items: 293 items, weighing 22,242 'bharis' (approximately 221–244 kg).
Note: One 'bhari' is a traditional unit roughly equal to 10-11 grams.
The 1978 records further break down the holdings by chamber. The inner chamber contained 367 gold ornaments (like necklaces, chains, and crowns) weighing 4,364 bharis, and 231 silver items weighing 14,878 bharis. The outer chamber housed 87 gold items (8,474 bharis) and 62 silver items (7,364 bharis). The upcoming inventory will create a fresh, authenticated record for the first time in nearly five decades.
