Puri Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar Opened After 46 Years; Here’s What Lies Inside This ‘Secret’ Vault
Ratna Bhandar, the hidden chamber inside the iconic 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, was reopened after 46 years on Sunday after performing rituals. The secret vault was opened at exactly 1:28 PM, officials said, adding the auspicious moment was decided at a morning meeting among members of a committee set up by the Odisha government for the purpose.
The committee members entered the temple at around 12 PM and after performing rituals, reopened the vault at 1:28 PM on Sunday after 46 years, they said.
Officials said the chamber was opened to carry out an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure. However, the ork for preparing the inventory did not start on Sunday and will take time, they said.
“The inventory work will not start today. It will be done after getting approval of the government on the engagement of valuers, goldsmiths and other experts. After the completion of the repair works, the valuables will be brought back and then, the process for inventory will be carried out,” an official said.
What lies inside the secret vault?
As per the Odisha Review magazine, the secret chamber inside the Ratna Bhandar at the Puri Jagannath Temple houses rare jewels, including diamonds, gold and other precious gemstones. According to a 2022 article, the ‘Bhitara Bhandar’ has as many as 180 types of ornaments, including 74 kinds of pure gold ornaments, some weighing over 1.2 kg.
According to the report, the treasury also houses over 140 types of silver jewellery, besides there are also plates made of gold, diamond, corals and pearls kept for safekeeping inside the bhandar where valuables, which are not regularly used for the deities, are kept.
The first formal inventory of the Bhitara Bandhar in modern history was done in 1805 by then Puri Collector Charles Grome, who listed at total of 1,333 items, including gold, silver, and diamond ornaments, inside the chamber.
It is also rumored that the chamber contains 128 gold coins, 1,297 silver coins, 106 copper coins and 24 ancient gold coins. As per the latest inventory done in 1978, the treasury contains 454 types of gold ornaments weighing 12,883 ‘bhari’ and 293 types of silver ornaments weighing 22,153 ‘bhari’.
The chamber was last opened in 1985 when gold-repair work was carried out, however, no inventory was done at the time.
Rabindra Narayan Mishra, the former administrator of the Puri Jagannath temple, who was part of the team which entered the inner vault at the time, said he saw at least 15 wooden chests containing of gold, silver, diamonds, sapphires, pearls, rubies, and other rare gemstones, according to a 2022 OTV report.
The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar was a major political issue during the recently held assembly elections in Odisha and BJP had promised that it would make efforts to reopen the chamber if voted to power.
“On the wish of Lord Jagannath, the Odia community, with the identity of ‘Odia Asmita’, has started making efforts to move forward. On your wish, the four gates of the Jagannath temples were earlier opened. Today, on your wish, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 years for a greater purpose,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post on X in Odia.
‘Ratna Bhandar’ reopened
On Sunday, the Ratna Bhandar was opened after a gap of 46 years when a 11-member team, including former Orissa HC judge Biswanath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri’s titular king ‘Gajapati Maharaja’, ventured into the chamber.
Among the 11 who entered the chamber, were four servitors who took care of the rituals, officials said, adding that the members came out of the Ratna Bhandar, which has an inner and an outer chamber, around 5.20 pm.
“We carried out all the works as per SOP. We first opened the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar and shifted all ornaments and valuables kept there to the temporary strong room inside the temple. We have sealed the strong room,” Padhee told reporters.
“Then, the authorised persons entered the inner chamber of the treasury. Three locks were there. No lock could be opened with the key available with the district administration. So, as per the SOP, we broke the three locks in the presence of a magistrate, and then, we entered the inner chamber. We inspected the valuables kept in the almirahs and the chests,” he said.
Padhee said the committee decided not to shift the valuables from the inner chamber immediately.
“The process of shifting the valuables has to be done at once. It was not possible today. We will fix a date to shift the ornaments after the completion of the Bahuda Yatra and ‘Suna Vesha’ rituals,” he said.
The idols of the sibling deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are at present in the Gundicha temple where they were taken during Rath Yatra on July 7. They would be brought back to the 12th-century shrine during the Bahuda Yatra on Monday.
(With inputs from agencies)
