Puri's Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Saturday said the treasure trove (Ratna Bhandar) of the 12th-century shrine was safe, dispelling speculation about some ornaments missing from there.
For the last few months, the demand for the opening of the Ratna Bhandar has been getting louder. The issue has also reached the Orissa High Court, which has asked the state government to constitute a high-level committee to supervise the preparation of the inventory of the Ratna Bhandar.
The chief administrator of the SJTA, Ranjan Kuma Das, said: “The Ratna Bhandar is safe and all of you need not worry about it.”
The temple administration has also decided to discuss the high court's order to form a special committee on the reopening of the Ratna Bhandar and making the inventory of ornaments within two months. The last time the inventory of ornaments was made was in 1978.
Das said: “The management of the committee would deliberate on the issue and take a decision.”
A senior member of the management committee, Madhab Mohapatra, said: “We will soon take up the issue about forming a special committee regarding opening up the Ratna Bhandar and intimate it to the government.”
In order to reopen the treasure trove, the administration needs to constitute a committee comprising servitors, temple officials and members of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It will work under the supervision of a retired judge of the high court or the Supreme Court to monitor the entire operation.
The ASI has already given its nod for the opening up of the Ratna Bhandar and requested the temple administration to allow it to inspect the treasure trove to assess whether it requires maintenance.
The Ratna Bhandar comprises mainly two chambers and stores the jewels and ornaments that the three deities are adorned with. There is another small chamber (a part of the outer chamber) where ornaments for the daily use of the deities are kept. The inner chamber has not been opened since 1978. The outer chamber was opened in 2018.
RTI activist Dilip Baral, who has consistently demanded the opening up of the Ratna Bhandar and even approached the high court on the issue, said: “An attempt is being made by the administration to delay the opening up of the Ratna Bhandar. The administration will go for opening up the Ratna Bhandar after the election. They will defer it till the election. The officials are giving such concocted statements to save the government only.”
Similipal reopens after 4 months
The Similipal National Park reopened for tourists on Saturday after remaining closed for four months.
The park was closed since June 15 in view of the monsoon.
Similipal, located in Mayurbhanj district, is spread over 2,750 square kilometres and is famous for its flora and fauna.
According to the tiger estimation report of the government of India, Similipal Tiger Reserve has 16 tigers and the number is likely to go up when the state government holds its census.
Sources said the sanctuary has nearly 20 tigers.
The authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the tourists inside the forest.
The park, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the state, has also been the target of poachers who have killed several elephants inside the sanctuary.
