Counting of Temple Ornaments to Restart After Brief Pause
After a temporary suspension, the counting and verification of precious ornaments stored inside the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple will resume from May 11.
The temple administration has announced that the inventory work will continue for two days — May 11 and May 12. The process had earlier been halted due to the ongoing Bahara Chandan Yatra rituals of Lord Jagannath and associated ceremonial activities.
Rituals Led to Temporary Suspension
According to temple officials, the counting work was paused to ensure that the religious rituals and daily traditions of the deities were conducted smoothly without disruption.
Sunday marks the final day of the Bahara Chandan Yatra during the Bhounri festival, while the Haladi Pani ritual of the deities is scheduled for the following day. Considering the importance of these rituals, authorities decided to keep the Ratna Bhandar process on hold temporarily.
Inventory Work to Continue Under SOP Guidelines
Shree Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee stated that the counting and verification work would resume strictly according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Odisha government.
He further informed that future dates for the inventory process would be announced later based on progress and administrative planning.
Over 100 Ornaments Already Counted
The inventory work inside the inner Ratna Bhandar had originally begun on April 14. Since then, officials have reportedly completed the counting and documentation of more than 100 ornaments belonging to Lord Jagannath and the sibling deities.
The process involves detailed verification, documentation and security monitoring of the temple treasures.
Experts and RBI Officials Present During Process
During the counting process, temple goldsmith servitors, gem experts and officials from the Reserve Bank of India remain present to ensure transparency and proper assessment of the ornaments.
Authorities are also carrying out the work under CCTV surveillance, while complete videography and photography of the ornaments are being conducted for official records.
Darshan Arrangements for Devotees
Temple authorities have ensured that devotees continue to receive darshan of the deities during the ongoing inventory work.
Special arrangements have been made for devotees to have darshan from the Bahara Katha area without affecting temple rituals and security procedures.
Temple Administration Confident of Smooth Completion
Speaking about the ongoing process, Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said the work is progressing smoothly under the blessings of Lord Jagannath and in accordance with government guidelines.
He stated that it is currently difficult to predict when the entire process will be completed, but assured that all activities are being conducted carefully and systematically.