Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken two major decisions regarding the management of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. These include the relocation of the sacred ornaments of the deities to the Ratna Bhandar on September 23 and the introduction of queue darshan for devotees.
Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan informed the media that the long-standing issue of queue darshan has been resolved following approval from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The Minister explained that the donation hundis (charity boxes) inside the temple were creating bottlenecks in the functioning of the queue system. With the Chief Minister’s consent, the hundis will now be relocated to facilitate orderly darshan.
“The final decision on the placement of the hundis will be made after consultations between the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Puri District Collector. Once relocated, queue darshan will be implemented on a trial basis,” Harichandan said.
The Minister further announced that the ornaments of Bhagwan Jagannath, Bhagwan Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, currently stored in temporary treasuries, will be moved to the original Ratna Bhandar on September 23. The process will commence at 4 a.m. with the Dwarafita ritual and will occur during the auspicious Amrut Bela. If the transfer cannot be completed on September 23, it will take place the following day.
SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee stated that public darshan will be restricted on September 23 to ensure the smooth execution of the transfer. Once the ornaments are placed inside the Ratna Bhandar, the chamber doors will be sealed in the presence of a magistrate, and the keys will be deposited in the district treasury.
Padhee further informed that the entire process will be supervised and verified against the official inventory prepared in 1978. Any decisions regarding detailed counting and valuation of the ornaments (Ganati Manati) will be made by the temple managing committee.
“The Ratna Bhandar Sub-Committee, formed by the managing committee’s decision, held a crucial meeting today. Several key issues were discussed, including safety protocols, ritual arrangements, and verification procedures,” Padhee added.
He also noted that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed necessary repair works on both the Bhitara (inner) and Bahara (outer) Ratna Bhandar chambers. Currently, the ornaments of the Bhitara Ratna Bhandar are stored in Khata-seja Ghara, while those of the Bahara Ratna Bhandar are kept in Changda Ghara and Phula Ghara. All these sacred valuables will now be shifted back to their original chambers in the Ratna Bhandar.
