Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandaar Opens After 48 Years; Inventory Begins

The centuries-old Ratna Bhandaar of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri opened its doors on Wednesday for the first time in nearly five decades, with a high-level team beginning the official inventory of one of India’s most enigmatic and revered treasure repositories at the auspicious hour of 12:09 pm.

The last count of the Ratna Bhandaar was conducted between May 13 and July 23, 1978 — a 72-day exercise that documented 454 gold-plated ornaments weighing 128.38 kilograms and 221 kilograms of silver ornaments. Wednesday’s resumption, carried out under a Special Operating Procedure approved by the state government and the Shri Jagannath Temple Management Committee, marks the first formal stocktaking since that exercise.

All designated officials entered the temple premises at around 11:30 am dressed in traditional dhoti and towel in strict adherence to temple customs, with entry restricted exclusively to listed personnel. The inventory is proceeding in stages — beginning with ornaments used in daily worship, before progressing to the outer and then the inner chambers of the Ratna Bhandaar. The auspicious window for the opening was fixed between 12:09 pm and 1:45 pm.

A specialised team comprising RBI representatives, public sector bank officials, and two gemstone experts is conducting the exercise. Each piece of jewellery and gemstone is being individually identified and digitally photographed — a significant upgrade from the manual methods of 1978. Preservation protocols are also in place: gold jewellery is being wrapped in yellow cloth, silver in white, and other precious items in red cloth, with all items stored in six specially designated boxes. Officials expect the process to be completed in considerably less time than the 72 days taken in 1978, given the availability of modern technology and a larger expert team.

Daily worship and darshan for devotees will continue uninterrupted throughout the inventory period. However, entry to the Bhitra Katha — the inner sanctum — will remain completely restricted to the public, with devotees directed to have darshan from the Bahara Katha.