The next phase of the inventory for the Ratna Bhandar at the Puri Jagannath Temple is scheduled to take place over three days starting April 8, according to an announcement by Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Saturday.
Briefing the reporters, Harichandan said that all necessary arrangements have been finalised for the upcoming stage, which focuses on the Bahar Bhandar, or outer chamber.
“During this period, the ornaments and valuables of the deities will be counted, weighed and digitally documented, including through 3D mapping,” he said.
The 12th-century temple remains under the administrative jurisdiction of the state’s Law Department.
The outer chamber is the primary storage for jewellery and precious items worn by the deities during major festivals—most notably the ‘Suna Besha’ (golden attire) ritual, which occurs five times annually, including during the Rath Yatra.
Harichandan noted that approximately 80 per cent of the movable treasures held in the ‘Chalanti’ Ratna Bhandar (items used for daily rituals) were already documented during the initial phase on March 25 through photography, videography, and 3D mapping.
Arabinda Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), highlighted that the inventory exercise, being conducted after a gap of 48 years, is organized-into three distinct storage categories.
The first category consists of the inner chamber, which houses the temple’s most ancient and precious treasures preserved over centuries.
The second category includes festival-specific jewellery stored in the outer chamber, while the third category covers the ornaments used for daily religious services.
Padhee explained that the process, which launched on March 25 under heavy security, involves specialized teams of temple servitors, bank representatives, gemologists, and representatives of the RBI.
He further emphasized that every item is being cross-referenced with the official records from 1978.
Each ornament is being weighed and examined by gemologists, and then digitally documented and securely packed in specially prepared chests based on metal classification, he said.
