Bhubaneswar, February 24: The Odisha government has approved a 14-page Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the long-awaited inventory of valuables in the Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. The Temple Managing Committee will announce the start date and timing after their meeting next week.

The SOP was presented before Lord Jagannath on Tuesday, confirmed Arabinda Padhee, Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration. The document, cleared by the Chief Minister and Law Minister, outlines procedures for counting, documentation, and handling the temple’s treasures.

This comes after a directive from the Orissa High Court, which ordered the completion of the inventory within three months following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). Padhee said a supervisory team will oversee the process, ensuring no more than three people are inside the Ratna Bhandar at any time. The inventory will be conducted by a 10-member team, including temple administration officials, servitors, and public sector bank representatives. Goldsmiths and gemologists will assist in identifying the items.

The process will be under CCTV surveillance, with digital cataloging and strict confidentiality agreements. The inventory will proceed in phases, starting with the outer sections and ending with the inner chamber. Keys will be securely handled and only retrieved with a magistrate's presence.

The inventory is scheduled to start 24 working days before the Rath Yatra festival to minimize disruption. Devotees will be allowed to view the temple from outside, while only designated sevayats will enter for rituals. Older records, including those from 1978, will be cross-verified, though no current valuations will be made. Once completed, the inventory list will be submitted to the Temple Managing Committee and state government.