Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar Row Rages On, Odisha Minister Slams ASI Official For ‘Misleading Comment’ On Opening

The Ratna Bhandar, last opened in 1978 for inventory, has been at the centre of a political row, with the BJP making it a campaign issue during this year’s assembly election.

Puri: The controversy over the alleged missing keys of the Puri Jagannath Temple Ratna Bhandar, which holds jewellery and other valuables of the shrine’s holy trinity, continues to rage in Odisha.

On Wednesday, an official from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) triggered speculation that the Ratna Bhandar will be opened during the Ratha Jatra next month. However, a day later, Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan criticised the ASI official for his “misleading comment” on the issue, and said action will be taken against him. 

“The government is taking positive steps and is very careful to initiate the process of opening the Ratna Bhandar... Shortly we will announce the modality and the date when the event will be done... A proper inventory matching will be done... The entire thing will be published for the consumption of the people of Odisha…” the minister said, as quoted by ANI.

The ASI official had told the press that they were prepared to start repairing the Ratna Bhandar from July 8, adding to speculation that it would be opened on Ratha Jatra on July 7, a PTI report noted.

The Ratna Bhandar, last opened in 1978 for inventory, has been at the centre of a political row, with the BJP making it a campaign issue during this year’s assembly election. The controversy centres on allegations that keys to the treasury have gone missing. 

The erstwhile Naveen Patnaik government ordered a judicial probe in 2018, but the inquiry report hasn’t been tabled in the assembly so far, according to an explainer in The New Indian Express.

Reopening the Ratna Bhandar was one of the BJP’s two campaign promises regarding the Jagannath Temple. The other was reopening all the four gates of the temple – only one had been open since the Covid pandemic – and this was fulfilled as soon as the BJP took power in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government has told the Orissa High Court that the 2018 judicial commission report on the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar would soon be made public, PTI reported.

The high court is hearing a petition seeking to make the report public.

During a hearing on the matter on Wednesday, the state government told the court that the report would soon be tabled in the assembly for discussion, and further course of action will depend on its recommendations.