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 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 of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, Orissa High Court judge 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. 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. Also read | Jagannath Rath Yatra 2024: Iconic festival underway in Puri with help of AI technology 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, contained 454 gold articles and 293 silver articles in both chambers. The outer treasury has a golden crown of Lord Jagannath and three 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 Biju Janata 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 gates for the treasury and also announced Rs 500 crore ($60 million) for temple 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 commemorate Lord Jagannath (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu), his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra. (With inputs from agencies)

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

The Supreme Court on Friday&nbspordered for the set up of a committee to investigate the matter of the missing keys of the&nbsp<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/keys-of-jagannath-temples-treasury-go-missing-odisha-cm-orders-judicial-probe-142148">Ratna Bhandar&nbspat Puri's Jagannath Temple</a> in Odisha.

The committee to be formed under the District Judge will&nbspsubmit its&nbspreport to the apex court by June 30.

The court has also asked the Odisha government to form a committee and submit a report stating the aid&nbspprovided by the government&nbspto similar temples.&nbspThe court said it will use the report for&nbspimproving the conditions of the Jagganath temple.

The Supreme Court has also asked the Centre to form a committee and discuss the condition of temples around the country.

The Court has&nbspappointed a senior lawyer Gopal Subramaniam as&nbspamicus curiae who will examine the committee report and assist the court hearings.

The next hearing in the case will be July 5.

The case pertains to the missing keys of the 12th century Jagannath Temple's treasury chamber Ratna Bhandar.

The state chief minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier&nbspordéred a judicial probe into the matter&nbspafter&nbspShankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, and the Bharatiya Janata Party protested against the loss.

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The committee, to be formed under the District Judge, will submit the report to the apex court by June 30

The Supreme Court on Friday&nbspordered for the set up of a committee to investigate the matter of the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar&nbspat Puri's Jagannath Temple in Odisha. The committee to be formed under the District Judge will&nbspsubmit its&nbspreport to the apex court by June 30. The court has also asked the Odisha government to form a committee and submit a report stating the aid&nbspprovided by the government&nbspto similar temples.&nbspThe court said it will use the report for&nbspimproving the conditions of the Jagganath temple. The Supreme Court has also asked the Centre to form a committee and discuss the condition of temples around the country. The Court has&nbspappointed a senior lawyer Gopal Subramaniam as&nbspamicus curiae who will examine the committee report and assist the court hearings. The next hearing in the case will be July 5. The case pertains to the missing keys of the 12th century Jagannath Temple's treasury chamber Ratna Bhandar. The state chief minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier&nbspordéred a judicial probe into the matter&nbspafter&nbspShankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, and the Bharatiya Janata Party protested against the loss.

Supreme court orders for committee set up in Jagannath Temple treasury case

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

Supreme court orders for committee set up in Jagannath Temple treasury case