A significant step has been taken towards the long-awaited inventory of the sacred Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. A high-level committee, formed by the government in July last year to oversee the process, has finalized an 11-page draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the monumental exercise.
Clearance Process and Technical Guidance
The draft SOP will now be presented for approval. Arabinda Padhee, the committee's convener and Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), stated that the document will first be placed before the temple's managing committee. Following its clearance there, it will be sent to the state government for final approval.
To ensure technical precision and authenticity, the inventory process will involve expert assistance. Two specialists from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide crucial technical guidance. Furthermore, the committee plans to engage at least five empanelled goldsmiths from a nationalised bank, who will be responsible for the meticulous measuring and verification of the vast collection of jewellery.
Assessing Ancient Treasures Without Disruption
Given the historical and religious significance of the items stored, the committee is prepared to go a step further. If necessary, it will hire professional valuers and gemologists to identify and assess the quality of the ancient gems and precious metals housed in the treasury.
Padhee emphasized that the sanctity and daily functioning of the temple will be paramount during the inventory. The committee will ensure that the exercise is carried out without disrupting the daily rituals and the darshan system for devotees. The committee, which met in Puri on a recent Saturday, has deliberately not set a fixed deadline for the start or completion of the inventory, acknowledging the sensitivity and scale of the task.
A Historic Task Decades in the Making
The upcoming inventory is a historic event, as the Ratna Bhandar was last inventoried in 1978, over four decades ago. The final date for commencing the process will be decided by the government only after the draft SOP receives its formal approval. This careful, procedural approach underscores the importance and reverence attached to the task of cataloguing the temple's invaluable assets.
