Bhubaneswar – The Puri Srikshetra Ratnabhandagaram in Odisha has been opened today after nearly 46 years. The Odisha government has arranged to count the precious jewels and other items stored in this room, last inventoried in 1978, when the process took 70 days. The BJP, during recent general elections, had promised to open the warehouse if they came to power.
A 16-member high-level committee, chaired by retired Odisha High Court judge Justice Bishwanath Rath, was appointed for this task. The committee recommended the government to open the warehouse on July 14. On the morning of the 14th, all committee members entered the temple in traditional attire to perform a special pooja to Lord Jagannath. Following the rituals, a snake catcher was the first to enter the vault room with authorized personnel, due to concerns about poisonous snakes in the chamber.
Medical personnel were on standby to provide prompt treatment in case of snake bites. Committee members have adhered to strict rules, including eating only vegetarian food for the past week. Justice Rath stated that the identification of the jewels would be supervised by a team of meteorologists and goldsmiths. Due to planned repairs by the ASI, the treasures will be moved to another safe area within the temple and counted under tight security, with the entire process recorded on video. Care is being taken to ensure that devotees are not inconvenienced.
Ratna Bhandaram: A Special Vault
Near the Jagamohana of the Jagannath Temple, the Ratna Bhandagaram is a small temple-like structure standing 11.78 meters tall. It consists of two rooms: the bahara bhandar (outer room) and the bhitara bhandar (inner room) for storing the deities’ ornaments. The inner room is more spacious than the outer room, which houses the ornaments used in the Lord’s regular pujas.
Over the centuries, rulers of Odisha and Nepal, along with kings from many dynasties, have donated precious treasures like gold, silver, and diamonds to Lord Jagannath. These treasures, including spoils of war, were kept in the inner chamber.
In 2018, a 16-member team attempted to open the vault but were unable to enter as the key was missing. They examined the interior through a window using flashlights.
Contents of the Secret Room
The secret room contains 15 wooden boxes of Vajra Vaiduryas, gold ornaments, and silver items belonging to Lord Jagannath. Each box is 9 feet long and 3 feet high.
The first official report on Ratnabhandara, prepared by Puri Collector Charles Groom in 1805, listed 128 gold coins, 1,297 silver coins, 106 copper coins, and 64 pieces of jewelry made of gems, fine gold, and silver.
Following the enactment of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration Act in 1950, records indicated 150 gold ornaments in the outer room, 180 types of ornaments, and 146 silver items in the inner room. The last inventory in 1978 recorded 454 gold ornaments weighing 128.38 kg and 221.53 kg of silver items encrusted with precious stones. The inner chamber was opened twice in 1982 and 1985, but no audit of the jewelry was conducted.
The current effort to open and inventory the vault marks a significant moment in the history of the Puri temple, as the treasures are accounted for under modern scrutiny and security.
