(Image source from: Twitter.com/ANI)
The Ratna Bandar (secret vault) of the 12th century Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha was inaugurated on Sunday as part of the ongoing Rath Yatra festival that began on July 7 on Dwitiya Tithi Shukla Paksha. “Before we reopen the treasury, we will seek help from Goddess Bimala, Goddess Lakshmi, the owner of the treasury, and finally Lord Lokanath, its custodian,” said committee chairman Justice Ross. An 11-member team of state government officials entered the temple treasury. Officials said an inventory of valuables would not be done immediately. The Temple Management Committee headed by 'Badshahpur' Debyasingh Deb, the Chief Administrator (an IAS level officer) and other members selected by the Odisha government is responsible for the security of the Ratna Bhandar. On July 14, the Prime Minister's Office wrote to "The four gates of Jagannath Temple have been opened. Ratna Bhandar has been opened for a larger purpose after 46 years." According to Odisha magazine, the interiors of Ratna Bhandar, a 12th-century temple in Puri, are filled with the most unusual treasures, including diamonds, gold and gemstones.
According to a 2022 Odisha Review article, the 'Vithala Bhandaar' contains 180 types of ornaments, including 74 types of pure gold ornaments, some of which weigh more than 1.2 kg. Representing centuries of piety and cultural heritage, this vault houses valuable items not normally used by the gods. According to the report, some of the plates were made of gold, diamonds, coral and pearls. In addition, 140 pieces of silver jewelry are kept in the treasury. In 1805, Charles Groom, the then pre-collector, compiled a list of the ornaments stored in the interior chambers, including 1,333 items. According to rumors, there are 128 gold coins, 1297 silver coins, 106 copper coins and 24 ancient gold coins in this room. Reportedly, in the last inventory dated 1357, this treasury contained 454 types of gold jewelry weighing 12,883 Bahri and 293 types of silver jewelry weighing 22,153 Bahri. “Bhitara Bhandar” was reopened in 1985 for gold repair work. However, this time no inventory was recorded. Former temple guard Ravindra Narayan Mishra, who was part of the group that broke into the internal treasury, told OTV in 2022 that it was a wooden box containing gold, silver, diamonds, sapphires, pearls, rubies and other rare gemstones . He said he saw 15 boxes.
#WATCH | Odisha | Ratna Bhandar of Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri re-opened today after 46 years.
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2024
Visuals from outside Shri Jagannath Temple. pic.twitter.com/BzK3tfJgcA
However, there are also concerns that there could be a snake in the vault. In 1978, it took officials more than 70 days to complete an inventory at the Treasury Department. Since the 1980s, temple administrators have tried twice to open the inner chamber but failed. The last attempt was made in April 2018 when a 16-member team, including three members of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), failed to enter the inner vault and could not find the key to the room. This time, the entire process of entering the Ratna Bhandar was recorded to create a digital catalog of the ornaments for future reference. The expert team first selects a convenient time called 'Suva Bela' to open the safe using a duplicate key maintained by the Puri government. If this approach fails, a judge will oversee the unlocking process. According to the report, the temple committee sought out an experienced snake charmer before the opening because it was concerned about the possible reptile threat. A team of doctors is available with the necessary medical equipment. Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of the high-level committee constituted by the Odisha government to monitor the process of opening and storage of the Ratna Baandar also entered the Ratna Bhandar. He said there was nothing unusual inside and dismissed speculation that there was a snake inside.
Last month, all four gates of the massive 12th-century temple, which had been closed since the coronavirus pandemic, reopened to the public. The outer walls of the temple have four gates that open in four different directions. These four tribes are represented by four animals. Since there is a lion in the east, it is called Lion Gate or Sinhadwara. The western direction is represented by a tiger and is therefore called Tiger Gate or “Vyagradwara”. The north direction of the temple wall is indicated by an elephant. Hence it is called Elephant Gate or “Hastedwara”. The southern direction, represented by a horse, is known as Horse Gate or “Ashvadwara”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah raised the issue of "missing" keys to the Ratna Baandar, the treasure of the Jagannath Temple, while the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD did not disclose the status of the holdings. Jewels and jewels are kept there. In the name of promoting Puri as a tourist hub, Santh Shrikshetra (Puri) was converted into a commercial center and the four doors of Jagannath Temple were closed, Shah said at a public meeting, a conspiracy to stop the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. Every year hundreds of thousands of devotees come to Puri in Odisha to visit the Lord Jagannath Temple. Lord Jagannath is present in the temple representing Krishna along with his elder brother Lord Balbhadra and sister Goddess Subhadra.
The annual Ratha Yatra (Festival of Chariots) held at the Puri Temple is known for the three main deities being pulled by the temple's large and decorated vehicles.
