Puri, March 2 The authorities of the Shree Jagannath temple here on Monday decided to begin the long-awaited inventory of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) at the 12th-century shrine from March 25, after a gap of 48 years, a senior official said.
The decision was made at the crucial meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), the highest decision-making body of the temple.
“It has been decided to start the inventory exercise of the Ratna Bhandar between 12:12 pm and 1:45 pm on March 25,” Arabinda Padhee, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), told reporters.
Padhee said that the timing and date were decided based on the opinion of scholars and religious experts. They found this time and day (Shukla Pakshya Saptami of the month of Chaitra) to be the most auspicious for beginning the inventory work of the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury where the Lord's ornaments and valuables are stored in two chambers called Bahar Bhandar (outer chamber) and Bhitar Bhandar (inner chamber).
The chief administrator said that the state government had earlier approved the SOP for undertaking the Ratna Bhandar inventory exercise, which was last held in 1978.
Padhee said that the inventory work of the 'Bahar Ratna Bhandar' (outer chamber where the Lord’s daily use ornaments are stored) will be taken up first before starting the exercise in the inner chamber.
He said that the previous inventory in 1978 had taken 72 days. “We cannot now say how many days are required for the inventory,” he said, replying to a question.
