The revered treasury of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, known as the Ratna Bhandar, was reopened after 46 years on Sunday. A team of 11 members, which included Orissa HC judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak, and a representative of Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’, was assembled by the state government to enter the treasury. An official stated that the team will not be conducting an immediate inventory of the valuables.
The Chief Minister’s Office has released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the occasion. It stated, “Following the guidance of Lord Jagannath, the Odia community, known as ‘Odia Asmita’, is making efforts to move forward. The four gates of the Jagannath temples were opened earlier as per your wish. Today, the Ratna Bhandar has been unlocked after 46 years for a greater purpose, as per your wish.”
What’s inside the revered treasury
- The treasury houses valuable gold and diamond jewelry presented to Lord Jagannath. According to Odisha Magazine, King Anangabhima Dev of Odisha donated 250,000 madhas of gold to create jewelry for the deity.
- The Ratna Bhandar is divided into two sections – the Bhitar Bhandar (Inner Treasury) and the Bahar Treasury (Outer Treasury). As per the report, the outer treasury contains the suna mukuta of Lord Jagannath, as well as three gold necklaces (Haridakanthi Mali) weighing 120 tolas each.
- The report also brings up Suna Sribhuja and Sri Payar of Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra. Additionally, it states that the inner treasury contains nearly 74 gold ornaments, each weighing over 100 tolas.
- The report indicated that there are plates constructed from gold, diamonds, corals, and pearls. Furthermore, the treasury contains more than 140 silver jewelry pieces.