Ratna Bhandar of Shri Jagannath Temple to be opened today, final approval given by CM: Odisha Law Minister Harichandan

Bhuwaneshwar (Odisha) [India], July 14 (ANI): The Odisha government today is set to unlock the 'Ratna Bhandar' (Treasure Trobe) of the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri after more than four decades to carry out the inventorization of valuables, including pieces of jewellery stored there.
Speaking on the re-opening of the Ratna Bhandar, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that the Ratna Bhandar would be opened on July 14 and the final approval for opening the Ratna Bhandar was given by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
"On July 14, Ratna Bhandar of Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath is going to be opened. The final approval for this has been given by the Chief Minister...All standard operating procedures have been laid down and the government has given the Chief Administrator of the temple the full responsibility to ensure that the entire work is done smoothly under his supervision," he said.
He further stated that the inventory work will take place in the presence of a representative from the Reserve Bank of India and a digital catalogue will be made after the counting is done.
"We had requested the involvement of the Reserve Bank of India in this and a representative of the Reserve Bank of India will be included in it... After counting the ornaments, we will create a digital catalogue, which will include photographs, their weight and other things like their quality. A digital catalogue will be created with all the things; the digital catalogue will be a reference document," he said.
Harichandan also mentioned that there will be repair work carried out in the Ratna Bhandar after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) gives the go-ahead.
He further stated that they will also make a permanent support system that can withstand bad weather conditions for the Ratna Bhandar.
The ASI also looks after the maintenance of the 12th century shrine. The Treasury was last opened in 1978.
Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha is known as the land of Lord Jagannath, meaning the Lord of the Universe. Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the most important temples dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, in Puri in the state of Odisha. It is known by many names, viz., the Puri temple, the Srimandira, the Bada Deu1a or simply the Jagannatha temple. (ANI)