Puri, July 14: A significant meeting of the hi-level committee has been held in Puri on Sunday ahead of opening and inventory of Shri Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar.
The panel headed by Justice Biswanath Rath discussed the preparedness regarding the safe inventory of the Lord’s treasury with the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) authorities, Puri district administration and police.
Meanwhile, the committee vividly discussed on ensuring the set of SOPs formulated by the government for the initiating the process of assessing the gems and jewels stored inside the Ratna Bhandar.
Sources said the Ratna Bhandar will be opened up in the afternoon following a few traditional rituals before the Lord Loknath, the presiding God of the Ratna Bhandar, who is believed to be the divine custodian of all the gems and jewels, treasured in the underground trove.
Apart from it, the Committee has laid emphasis on the availability of essential logistics including safer strongrooms for gems and ornaments, quality and quantity checking tools with experts, proper lighting devices, and mobilization of special manpower, before entering into the Ratna Bhandar.
The meeting is underway wherein among others, as many 16 members of the panel, three invited members, SJTA authorities, representatives of servitors’ forum, Gajapati, Puri district Collector, SP with ASI officials are present.
