Ratna Bhandar- the well-known treasure house of the 12th century, located in the Jagannath Temple, Odisha’s Puri has finally re-opened after a long period of 46 years.
The treasure house unveiled a unique collection of ornaments and jewels of the deities offered by the devotees over the years.
These precious ornaments in the Ratna Bhandar were of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra which were given by many devotees and former rulers over many centuries.
It is divided into two parts- the Outer Chamber (Bahara) and the Inner Chamber (Bheetra). These ornaments involved the rarest and most unique collection of jewels like diamonds, gold and other gemstones.
The last inventory check was conducted in 1978 which involves a treasury of over 450 gold ornaments, and around 300 silver ornaments, weighing around 12,883 and 22,153.
Reportedly, there were 11 committee members from the Odisha government who joined the ceremony to elevate the ornaments and valuables stored inside. The treasury was opened in the afternoon, at about 1:30 PM. The members came out of the meeting around 5:20 PM in the evening.
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The committee members involved were: – Former Odisha HC judge Biswanth Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Association (SJTA) chief administrator, Arbinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s Titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’. These were also accompanied by the four servitors including Pat Joshi Mohapatra, Bhandar Mekap, Chadhaukarana, Deulikaran, to carry out all the rituals.
The Ratna Bhandar was a major issue during the recently held state general elections. However, it was opened as a promise by the BJP government and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after BJP came into power in Odisha.
Case of Missing keys
Notably, the outer chamber of Ratna Bhandar was directed to open in 2018 on the directions of high court, but the officials could not enter into the inner chamber as the keys of the inner chamber were misplaced. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called the government for causing delays.
Mysteries behind Ratna Bhandar
As per the Odisha Magazine’s Article from 2022, the inside chamber known as Bhitra Bhandar contains over 180 types of precious ornaments, in which 74 varieties are of pure gold, weighing more than 1.2 kg.
The Article further also revealed the donation of King Ananga Bhima, who donated around 2.5 madhas of gold to prepare the ornaments of the deities.
Apart from this, the Ratna Bhandar treasury also houses plates of gold, pearls, corals, diamonds along with 140 pieces of silver ornaments.
The Inner Chamber was also opened in 1985 for the gold-repair work, but an inventory check was not done.
Back in 1805, the Puri’s collector Charles Grome also declared a list of ornaments containing over 1300 items inside the Ratna Bhandar.
Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha
The Jagannath Puri Temple in Odisha dates to the 12th century. It was built by King Ananatvaram during the period of Choadganga Dynasty. It is a revered Vaishnava site of worship and among one of the most prominent religious temples in India. The temple covers around 400,000 square kilometers and contains around 120 temples and shrines.
It is renowned for its annual Rath yatra, where the deities are taken out and in beautifully decorated chariots.
Kanishka Malhotra is a seasoned journalist with a deep passion for reporting and uncovering the truth. With a specialization in research and investigative Journalism, she has covered wide range of topics related to social issues, travel, lifestyle, technology, Entertainment and much more. She believes to express and share her creativity to the world through words. With relentless pursuit of knowing and uncovering the truth, Kanishka continues to leave a mark in the world of journalism.
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