Puri, Dc 28: The long-pending inventory of the Ratna Bhandar at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri is planned to be carried out in three phases and completed well before the Rath Yatra in 2026.

Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said on Sunday that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for counting and documenting the temple’s valuables is nearly final. The draft SOP was discussed in detail during a high-level committee meeting, and it will soon be submitted to the state government for approval. The inventory process will begin once the necessary clearance is granted.

The minister said special arrangements will be made to ensure the counting is conducted in an organised manner without affecting daily temple rituals or devotees’ darshan. During the inventory exercise, devotees will be allowed to have darshan from the ‘Baharkatha’ (outer area) of the Naatamandir.

According to the 11-page guideline prepared by the Ratna Bhandar Monitoring Committee, the inventory will be completed in three stages. In the first phase, ornaments regularly used by the deities will be counted. This will be followed by the inventory of valuables kept in the outer chamber and, finally, those stored in the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar.

To strengthen security, servitors involved in the process will be issued identity cards, and a detailed record of all individuals present during the counting will be maintained. To enhance transparency, two officials nominated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will participate in the exercise.

The keys to the inner chamber will be deposited at the District Treasury after each day’s counting. The entire process will be videographed, with camera data stored securely. Additionally, all ornaments will be digitised and cross-checked with the existing inventory prepared in 1978 to ensure accuracy.