The Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of Puri’s Jagannath Temple is set to be unlocked on Sunday, marking its first opening in nearly four decades.

Under the supervision of a high-level committee appointed by the BJP government led by Mohan Majhi, the inventory of ornaments and valuables housed within the Ratna Bhandar will be meticulously reviewed.

While the outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar is regularly accessed for retrieving ornaments used in rituals such as the Suna Besha (golden attire) during the annual Rath Yatra and other major festivals, the last comprehensive inventory of the temple’s treasures dates back to 1978. Although the Ratna Bhandar was briefly opened in 1985, no fresh inventory was undertaken at that time.

Opening the Ratna Bhandar requires approval from the state government, which was granted recently by the newly elected BJP government.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), responsible for maintaining the 12th-century shrine, will utilize this occasion to undertake necessary repairs alongside the inventory process.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan affirmed, 'The Ratna Bhandar at the Lord Jagannath Temple will be opened on July 14, as approved by the government. We will conduct repairs and conduct a detailed count of the ornaments.' This event marks a significant milestone after decades of anticipation surrounding the contents of the temple's inner chamber

Inspection Committee Chairman Justice Biswanath Rath says, "As scheduled, and as known to everybody, the Government has already come out with the required SOPs in three parts- one is for the opening of the Ratna Bhandar, then taking custody of ornaments and valuables stacked in both the 'bhandars' section-wise to pre-allocated rooms inside the Garbha Griha. Today we convened a meeting in which we decided to go ahead with the opening and taking care of the ornaments... As per the discussion in the meeting and suggestions of the 'Purohits' and the 'mukti mandap', the right time for opening of the Ratna Bhadar is 1:28 pm... The process will be carried out with two sets of video recordings and there will be two certifications... It will be a challenge since we do not know the position inside since it last opened in 1985... We'll open the locks today, in any case."

Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Arabinda Padhee says, "Odisha government has approved the SOP for opening the Ratna Bhandar. As per the decision, today the Ratna Bhandar is being opened as per set guidelines. Authorised representatives from the various 'sewa' groups, officials from the ASI, representatives of Shri Gajapati Maharaj and others would be there. The entire proceedings will be video recorded for our record and not for publicity and will be strictly confidential... There are three steps of the SOP- The first is the opening of the outer ratna bhandar. For the inner ratna bhandar there is another set of guidelines. WRatna Bhandar have also made a temporary strong room... Once the shift from ratna bhandar to the strong room has been made, we will inventorise the valuables... We seek the blessings of Mahaprabhu that the Ratna Bhandar gets opened easily, and the subsequent steps will follow...".