Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the formation of a 12-member committee on Thursday, to be led by former Supreme Court Justice Arijit Pasayat, tasked with overseeing the inventory of jewellery and precious stones housed in the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The Ratna Bhandar, located near the sanctum sanctorum, contains various chambers filled with gold jewellery and precious stones contributed by devotees. The last inventory was conducted 46 years ago, in 1978, when the treasury was found to hold over 1.2 quintals of gold and 2.2 quintals of silver, all wrapped in red cloth and stored in wooden boxes. A significant quantity of gold ornaments continues to be utilized in temple rituals.
Ramakant Panda, a prominent cardiologist, has been appointed Vice-Chairman of the committee, which also includes members such as Vidhu Bhushan Samal, the former Chairman and Managing Director of Allahabad Bank; A. K. Sabat, a Chartered Accountant; and Dibyasingh Deb, the titular king of Puri and Chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee, alongside a representative from the Archaeological Survey of India.
The establishment of this high-level committee aligns with an order from the Orissa High Court, as stated by the Chief Minister’s Office. Calls for an inventory have been made by the opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with the government previously showing reluctance to open the Ratna Bhandar. Former state BJP president Sameer Mohanty had even petitioned the Orissa High Court, while the Congress party actively campaigned for the cause.
Previously, in 2018, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had sought the necessary support for inspecting the Ratna Bhandar from the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple.
