Puri, Aug 05: The Shree Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee approved the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the inspection of Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of the 12th-century shrine.
“At today’s meeting, we discussed the SOP for Ratna Bhandar. The gold ornaments from the Bhitara and Bahara Ratna Bhandar have already been moved to a temporary strong room. We deliberated on shifting old almirahs and chests and using scientific tools and techniques,” stated Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
He said this SOP has been approved by the temple’s managing committee and it will be sent to the state government for final approval.
Padhee also mentioned that the committee discussed and approved the ‘Draft Shree Jagannath Temple Land Management Rules 2024’. This draft will be forwarded to the State government for approval and implementation.
The discussion also included the 35 air-conditioned e-buses provided by the OBCC to the SJTA. “It was decided to request the state government to transfer these buses to OSRTC or another agency for management.
Additionally, the issue of ‘Arpan Rice’ was addressed. The temple managing committee authorized the SJTA Chief Administrator and Puri Collector to resolve the matter with the concerned nijogs (temple servitor bodies) and propose a solution to the government.
