Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple authorities on Saturday said the inventory process of the sacred ‘Ratna Bhandar’ of the Puri temple will resume on May 11 and will continue for two days, adhering to the SOPs approved by the Odisha government.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said that the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) inventory was paused for some days due to the ongoing ‘Chandan Jatra’ of the Lord.
“As the bahar (outer) Chandan Jatra festival will be completed on Sunday, it was decided to resume Ratna Bhandar inventory on May 11 and May 12 following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP),” Padhee said.
The process had been temporarily halted to avoid disruption during the Bhaunri occasion, which coincided with the final day of the Chandan Yatra and the Haldi Pani ritual. Officials assured that the resumed audit will follow the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the state government.
The counting began on April 14 and has already covered more than a hundred ornaments. Temple servitors, jewellery experts, and Reserve Bank of India officials are supervising the process. CCTV surveillance, videography, and photography ensure transparency and documentation.
During the audit, devotees are allowed darshan of the deities from the outer wooden barricades. The administration emphasised that the exercise will continue without affecting daily rituals.
