Countdown to Historic Inventory at Shree Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar

The Shree Jagannath Temple's authorities have finally set a date for the long-awaited inventory of the Ratna Bhandar, the temple's treasury. This extraordinary task will commence on March 25, marking the first such exercise in 48 years, according to the temple's highest decision-making committee.

Chief administrator Arabinda Padhee announced that the timing aligns with scholarly and religious consensus to ensure auspicious beginnings. The chosen day, Shukla Pakshya Saptami of the month of Chaitra, is deemed ideal for such a sacred undertaking, involving two chambers of treasures.

The forthcoming inventory adheres to a state-approved SOP. It will start with the Bahar Ratna Bhandar, which holds daily use adornments of the Lord. The last inventory, conducted in 1978, spanned 72 days, leaving the duration of the current exercise undetermined.