The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has temporarily suspended the ongoing inventory of the Ratna Bhandar, the temple’s treasure vault, with plans to resume the process in June. The counting scheduled for May 23 will proceed as planned, but the exercise will pause from May 24 due to extreme heat, a large influx of devotees, and preparations for major upcoming rituals such as Snana Purnima and Rath Jatra.
The inventory work, which restarted on May 11 after a break during the Chandana Jatra festivities, began on March 25 and has so far recorded over 57 hours of counting. Approximately 120 ornaments from the inner chamber have been documented, representing about 20 percent of the total items. The process involves temple servitors, officials, gemologists, bank staff, and representatives from the Reserve Bank of India.
Each artifact is carefully weighed, identified, digitally recorded, and securely packed. Valuables including gold and silver are sorted into color-coded containers to ensure their long-term preservation. In the coming week, committee meetings, including those of the Chhattisa Nijog, will be held to plan the next phase of the inventory.
Further official details regarding the resumption and completion of the inventory are awaited.
This local update is prepared from publicly available information. Readers should verify critical details from official communication where necessary.