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The inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar in the Jagannath Temple, Odisha, is scheduled to reopen on July 18 for inventory and audit purposes. This decision follows its initial closure four days earlier. The reopening window is set between 9:51 AM and 12:15 PM, during which valuables will be transferred to a room within the temple.
Audit Conservation Efforts
Biswanath Rath, retired judge of Or High Court and head of a high-level committee overseeing audit, stated that the decision was made during the meeting of the Rat Bhandar Monitoring in Puri. The audit is being conducted after 46 years.
Justice Rath noted that videography of the inner chamber has been completed "The videography of almirahs and containers will be done again We will try to complete the shifting of valuables in one day," he said An 11-member team will enter the inner chamber, with a technical on standby for additional support.
Structural Concerns
Justice Rath also highlighted structural concerns within Ratna Bhandar. "There is no doubt that the structure is in a very dilated state and needs extensive repair," he said. Broken stones were found on the floor during their inspection.
The ASI's laser scanning submitted in March indicated cracks in Ratna Bhandar's outer walls Last November, ASI conducted a condition mapping exercise at 49 points on the northern side to assess structural stability.
Future Steps
The key for any almirah inside Ratna Bhandar will remain with the District Collector, not ASI. If any key is missing, state authorities have permitted breaking open locks to access containers. The chief administrator has been authorized by the state government to take further action regarding Bhandar's opening.
The 3D from ASI's laser scanning showed cracks at multiple locations on the weathered lime surfaces of Ratna Bhandar walls. The conservation work by AS will follow standard operating procedures once they receive control from temple authorities.
The state government has empowered Arabinda Padhee to oversee subsequent actions related to Ratna Bhandar's opening and conservation efforts. The focus remains on these tasks efficiently within a single day.
This initiative aims to ensure both the security and preservation of valuable items while addressing urgent structural repairs needed for a Bhandar.
