Ratna Bhandar Inventory of Shri Jagannath Temple to Begin from March 25

Puri, March 3: The much-anticipated inventory of the Bhitar Ratna Bhandar, the inner treasury of the Shri Jagannath Temple housing the priceless ornaments of the presiding deities, will commence on March 25, Chief Administrator Aravind Padhee of the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration announced on Monday.

Padhee informed that temple priests have identified an auspicious time for initiating the process. The exercise will begin on the seventh day of the Chaitra month (Shukla Paksha), between 12:00 pm and 1:45 pm.

A draft proposal prepared by the Srimandir legal sub-committee was placed before the Temple Managing Committee, which approved the Standard Operating Procedure prescribed by the state government. The fresh inventory will be carried out alongside a comparison with the previous inventory conducted in 1978.

During the inventory period, darshan arrangements will be regulated, and devotees will be allowed to have darshan from Bahar Katha. The process will remain suspended on festive days as well as on Saturdays and Sundays due to heavy footfall.

The Reserve Bank of India has agreed to depute two senior officers for the exercise, while nationalised banks will provide a list of empanelled goldsmiths. The state government will also appoint two gemmologists to classify the precious and semi-precious stones embedded in the ornaments.

Each day, the District Magistrate will bring the Ratna Bhandar keys from the district treasury before the inventory begins and deposit them back after the day’s work concludes. A three-member supervisory panel will oversee the entire operation, supported by a ten-member handling team that will physically examine the ornaments and place them in designated Sindhukas (chests) constructed separately for gold, silver and other valuables.

The entire process will be video recorded, and the ornaments will be digitised and preserved for future reference. Traditional temple functionaries, including Tadhau Karana, Deula Karana, Pattajoshi Mahapatra and the Bhandar Mekapa, will be part of the exercise.

The Orissa High Court has directed that the inventory be completed within three months. However, Padhee stated that given the enormous scope of the task, the administration may approach the court seeking an extension. He noted that the 1978 inventory alone took 72 days to complete.

During the meeting, presided over by Dibyasingha Deb, the Managing Committee also approved a surplus annual budget of Rs 82 crore for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The temple’s projected income stands at Rs 452 crore, while expenditure is estimated at Rs 372 crore.

Padhee further informed that the corpus fund has risen to Rs 1,600 crore after an additional Rs 500 crore was provided by the state government. Efforts are also underway to reopen the Gundicha Temple for devotees once repair works are completed.

The forthcoming inventory is being regarded as a significant administrative step towards ensuring transparency, accountability and preservation of the temple’s treasured heritage.