Bhubaneswar: In a significant step toward preserving the divine heritage of the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple, the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has officially presented the comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Ratna Bhandar inventory to the Odisha Government.
The document, which spans eleven pages, was finalized following extensive deliberations by the Temple Management Committee under the chairmanship of Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb. It outlines a sacred and systematic approach to documenting the priceless jewels and ornaments of the Holy Trinity—Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra.
Following the submission of these guidelines, Minister of Law Shri Prithiviraj Harichandan has stated that the department will thoroughly review the proposed procedures. He emphasized that the government’s priority is to ensure the safety of the temple structure and the integrity of the divine ornaments.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi will also personally review the SOP to ensure that the process aligns with the sentiments of the millions of devotees who revere the Lord of the Universe.
Central to the SOP is the preservation of the temple’s spiritual sanctity. ACS Dr. Padhee emphasized that the entire inventorization process will be conducted in a manner that ensures the daily Niti-Kanti (rituals) of the deities remain undisturbed. The counting and documentation of the Lord’s treasury will be performed in three distinct phases, beginning with the active treasury, followed by the outer chamber, and finally the inner Ratna Bhandar.
The inventory aims to cross-verify the current divine assets with the last major records documented in 1978. To ensure transparency while respecting religious protocols, the process will involve authorized representatives from various servitor groups, experts from the Reserve Bank of India, and specialized goldsmiths. Digital documentation and videography will be utilized to create a permanent record of the Lord’s wealth for future generations.
Following the state government’s formal approval of the guidelines, a final date for the opening will be determined based on an auspicious Shubha Muhurta, as suggested by the temple priests and the Mukti Mandap. The temple administration intends to complete this historic task by the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya in April 2026.