Rediscovering Treasures: Inventory of Shree Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandar

The long-awaited inventory of the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of Puri's historic Shree Jagannath Temple, began on Wednesday after a 48-year hiatus. Officials, including bank representatives and gemologists, were involved in cataloguing the treasury's precious items using advanced techniques like 3D mapping and photography.

The inventory process, which started promptly at 12:12 pm, concluded its first day by 6:15 pm without disrupting the temple's daily rituals. Devotees continued to access the 'Bahar Katha', though the 'Bhitara Katha' remained restricted. The thorough documentation is in line with guidelines set by the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee.

While maintaining confidentiality, officials revealed the inventory would categorize items into three groups. Items actively in use by the temple remain uncounted for now. The process traces back to the last inventory in 1978, which identified hundreds of gold and silver items. This contemporary effort is enhanced by modern technology to achieve accurate and swift documentation.