Treasury of Jagannath Temple opened after 46 years. What valuables are inside it?

The Ratna Bhandar or the treasury of the 12th century Jagannath Temple in the eastern Indian state of Odisha was reopened on Sunday (Jul 14) after a long wait of 46 years. The inner chamber is located next to the 'Garbha-griha' (sanctum sanctorum) which houses the primary idols and assembly hall.

A government-constituted 11-member team comprising ofShree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, Orissa High Courtjudge Biswanath Rath, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Superintendent DB Gadanayak and a representative of Puri's titular king 'Gajapati Maharaja'among other entered the treasury.

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According to reports, the team was forced to break three locks of the inner chamber as they were not able to open them using the keys provided.

“We carried out all the work as per SOPs. 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 said.

What's inside the treasury?

Notably, the treasury was last opened in 1978 and till then,nobody had seen the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, which is divided into two parts:Bhitar Bhandar (Inner Treasury) and Bahar Treasury (Outer Treasury).

It took 70 days to prepare the inventory at the time and according to reports, contained454 gold articles and 293 silver articles in both chambers.

The outer treasury has a golden crown of Lord Jagannath andthree gold necklaces that weigh 120 tolas (1 tola = 11.66 grammes)each.

As per Odisha Magazine, Odisha's King Anangabhima Dev donated 2.5 lakh madhas (1 madha = 5.23 grammes)of gold to prepare jewellery for the deity as well.

Additionally, there are plates of gold, diamond, pearl and corals also kept in the chambers.

Watch |Odisha Rath Yatra 2024: All four gates of the famous Puri Jagannath Temple reopened

Opening of treasury

The opening of the treasury has been a political as well as a religious issue for a long time. Prior to winning the assembly election last month,the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had blamed the ruling BijuJanata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik for keeping the treasury shut.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were at the forefront of the issue of the“missing” keys of the treasury. They urged Patnaik to come clean on inventorying the jewellery and precious stones stored in it.

“The tradition of Jagannath Dham has been lowered in the name of promoting Puri as a tourist hub. The Shreekshetra (Puri) has been transformed into a commercial centre. The mutts have been demolished and the four entry doors of Jagannath Temple remain closed. There was conspiracy to stop the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath,” Shah had said in one of the public meetings.

However, after coming to power, the BJP under Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has opened all the gatesfor the treasury and also announced Rs 500 crore ($60 million) fortemple beautification and repair.

The Jagannath Temple is famous for its unique Rath Yatra that takes place every year.The festival, much revered in this part of the world, is celebrated to commemorateLord Jagannath (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu), his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra.

(With inputs from agencies)