THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 16, 2026
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday reviewed the
preparedness for the long-awaited inventory of the Ratna Bhandar of the Puri Jagannath
Temple, with the state government asserting that the exercise will begin soon
in compliance with the recent directive of the Orissa High Court.
The review meeting, attended by senior officials and members of the Shree
Jagannath Temple Administration, focused on the Standard Operating Procedure,
security arrangements and administrative mechanisms required for the counting
and documentation of the temple’s jewellery and valuables. The SOP has already
been approved by the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, the apex body
of the 12th-century shrine headed by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the inventory will involve
matching the existing ornaments and valuables with the list prepared in 1978,
the last time such an exercise was conducted. This time, however, authorities
will also prepare a comprehensive digital catalogue, including photographic
documentation of gold, diamond and silver ornaments, precious stones and other
items stored in the treasury.
The Ratna Bhandar consists of an inner and an outer chamber. While the
outer chamber is opened regularly for the daily rituals of the deities, the
inner chamber remained locked for 46 years before being opened on July 14, 2024
for structural repairs and preparatory work for the inventory. The renovation
of the inner chamber was completed by the Archaeological Survey of India in an
intensive effort spanning 95 days and 333 hours.
The state government’s move follows the January 27 order of a division
bench of the Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and
Justice M. S. Raman, which directed the authorities to complete the inventory
within three months.
Ahead of the Chief Minister’s review, a preliminary meeting of senior
officials was held at the residence of Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan. In
a social media post, the minister said the discussions covered the detailed
process for the inventory, security protocols and administrative preparations,
adding that the final date for commencing the exercise will be decided by the
Chief Minister.
The review meeting was also attended by Justice Biswanath Rath, former Judge
of the Orissa High Court and chairperson of the high-level committee
constituted to oversee the opening, repair and inventory of the Ratna Bhandar.
Temple authorities had earlier resolved on January 17 that the inventory
would begin on an auspicious day following the state government’s approval.
With the procedural framework now in place and security arrangements under
discussion, officials indicated that the State government is poised to
undertake one of the most significant documentation exercises in the history of
the Jagannath Temple, bringing the decades-old records of its sacred treasury
into a modern digital format.
