Reopening of Bhitara Ratna Bhandar of Puri temple tomorrow, only Singhadwar to remain open

Puri: With Bhitara (inner chamber) Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri slated to be reopened again on Thursday, the administration is gearing up to ensure that the entire exercise is conducted in a smooth manner.

Sharing details about the reopening process, Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Padhee told media that the whole exercise will be carried out as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) laid down by the state government.

Ahead of the reopening of the inner chamber, only Singhadwar (Lion’s Gate) of the 12th century shrine will be kept open from 8 am onwards, he said, adding that the other three entry gates will remain closed as done during the opening of the treasury held on Sunday.

Stressing that there will be restriction on the entry of devotees into the temple, the SJTA chief said only the authorised persons and servitors will be allowed to enter the shrine during the process.

Stating that entire process will be video-graphed, following the same SOP like on Sunday, he said the same 11 committee members will be involved, with Bhandar Mekap servitors and Snake Helpline members on standby.

Although no reptiles were found in the Ratna Bhandar on Sunday, SJTA still wants snake catchers deployed as a precautionary measure. After opening the inner chamber, ornaments and valuables will be first shifted to the temporary strong room, he said.

The valuables in the inner chamber will be shifted to the temporary store room amid tight security and the ASI members will also be given some time to take stock of its structural stability. The entire event will be video-graphed, Padhee said.

After all the valuables are shifted from the inner Ratna Bhandar to the temporary strong room, the structure will be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for thorough inspection and proper repair work, the SJTA chief said.

“We will allow ASI officials to carry out conservation work only after the shifting of all articles from the inner chamber of the treasury. Inventory will start only after the completion of the Ratna Bhandar’s repair and restoration,” Padhee said.

Earlier, Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of the supervisory committee, had stated that the team will again open the locks and go inside Bhitara Ratna Bhandar between 9.51 am and 12.15 pm on July 18.

The inner chamber of the treasury of the Lords was reopened by cutting open three locks on Sunday. The team saw boxes and almirahs (both steel and wooden), wooden chests and boxes (lying on the floor), but decided unanimously to shift the jewelleries on another date to the designated strong room as the administration had to focus on Bahuda Yatra and Suna Besha.

Notably, valuables from the outer chamber have been shifted to a temporary strong room in Changda Mekap room inside the temple premises in four wooden chests.