Puri: The Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannatha Temple in Puri is set to undergo a historic inventory process beginning on 25 March 2026. This significant announcement was made by Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration, following a crucial meeting of the Temple Management Committee held in the presence of Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb. The decision marks a pivotal moment for millions of devotees, as the sacred treasury of the 12th-century shrine has not seen a comprehensive audit of its inner chambers since 1978.
The inventory, referred to as ‘Ganati Manati’, will be conducted according to a detailed 14-page Standard Operating Procedure recently approved by the Odisha Government. This document outlines a three-phase approach designed to maintain the spiritual sanctity of the temple. The process will begin with the active treasury, followed by the outer chamber, and finally the inner Ratna Bhandar, which houses the most ancient and rarely seen ornaments of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
To ensure the process remains transparent yet deeply respectful of religious protocols, a specialized team has been formed. This group includes temple servitors, representatives from the Reserve Bank of India, and expert gemologists and goldsmiths from public sector banks.
Chief Administrator SJTA Dr. Padhee emphasized that the daily Niti-Kanti, or sacred rituals of the deities, will remain entirely undisturbed throughout the duration of the inventory. While the physical counting takes place, devotees will still be permitted to have darshan of the Holy Trinity from behind the outer wooden barricades.
The Ratna Bhandar is more than a storehouse of wealth; it is a symbol of centuries of devotion. The inventory aims to cross-verify the current divine assets with records from 1978, which documented over 128 kilograms of gold and 221 kilograms of silver.
Modern technology will play a role in this traditional exercise, with the Temple Administration planning to utilize digital documentation and videography to create a permanent record of the Lord’s treasury for future generations.