BHUBANESHWAR: The second round of the technical survey at Puri Srimandir’s Ratna Bhandar has wrapped up a day ahead of schedule, informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administration Arabinda Padhee on Sunday evening.
Talking to media persons Padhee said, “The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed the second round of the technical survey of the Ratna Bhandar today. The survey lasted approximately 4 hours and 5 minutes.”
“The technical survey was conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) under the leadership of scientist Anand Kumar Pandey, utilizing the latest technologies. Since this is a scientific survey, it will take a few days to prepare the report,” Padhee added.
“Once the report is completed, NGRI will submit it to ASI, which will then pass it on to SJTA. Subsequently, SJTA will present the report to the State government. Based on the findings, we will consult further with experts, and ASI will proceed with the necessary repair and restoration work,” he added.
Dr. Arabinda Padhee stated that, according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) approved by the state government, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted the technical survey. A special ritual took place on Sunday in preparation for the Ratna Survey. The door was opened at 2:40 PM, and public darshan was closed at 1 PM following the completion of the special ritual. At the scheduled time, the joint team entered the Ratna Bhandar with technical equipment, and the entire process concluded around 5:50 PM.
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He also mentioned that it was initially decided to conduct the technical survey over three days, which led the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration to temporarily restrict devotees’ access to the sibling deities from 1 PM to 6 PM during this period. However, since the survey was completed ahead of schedule, there will be no restrictions on darshan of Mahaprabhu on Monday.
Dr. Arabinda Padhee expressed his gratitude to the devotees, sevakas, Justice Rath, the chairman of the high-level committee, ASI’s technical team, the Shrimandi administration, as well as the district and police administration and media for their cooperation. Additionally, the chief administrator of Shrimandi apologized to the devotees who were temporarily unable to have darshan of the Lord due to the restrictions imposed during the survey.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday afternoon began the second round of technical survey of the treasure trove of the 12th-century shrine.
It may be noted that the first phase of the technical survey of the Ratna Bhandar at Puri’s Jagannath Temple took place on September 18. A team of experts led by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted the first phase of the inspection of Ratna Bhandar, during which a detailed assessment was performed using laser scanners.
Under the supervision of ASI Additional Director General (ADG) Jahnavij Sharma, the technical inspection utilized high-tech gadgets and other scientific equipment to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of Ratna Bhandar. Experts from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad had carried out the laser scanning during the inspection.
On September 18, the SJTA had written to ASI requesting for completion of the technical survey by September 24 in view of special rituals of the deities during Dussehra and ‘Kartika’ month. The rituals for Durga Puja will commence at the temple on September 24.
The SJTA had also requested ASI to submit the survey report within the stipulated time.
Earlier, the temple administration shifted all valuables and jewellery from the outer and inner chambers of Ratna Bhandar and stored them in a temporary strong room within the temple premises.
