Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), July 19: The Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb of Puri informed on Thursday that the process of transferring jewels and valuables from the inner chamber (Bhitara Ratna Bhandar) of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is expected to conclude by evening. He mentioned that the ‘Khatasheja’ room will serve as a temporary strongroom for this purpose.
“There are almirahs in the Bhitara Bhandar. The shifting of ornaments and valuables to the temporary strongroom under tight security will commence shortly. We anticipate completing this process by evening, in preparation for the Niladri Bije ceremony scheduled for tomorrow evening,” he informed reporters after overseeing the opening of the Ratna Bhandar.
Once the shifting is complete, the iron door of the ‘Khatasheja’ room will be sealed and locked, with the keys deposited in the government treasury, he added.
Regarding the outer chamber (Bahara Ratna Bhandar), the Puri King noted that the old almirahs have been cleared. “Valuables from the outer chamber have already been relocated to a secure temporary strongroom at ‘Changada Ghara’ and ‘Phula Ghara’, equipped with CCTV surveillance. These items are primarily used during festive occasions like the recent Suna Besha of the Lords,” he explained.
He further stated that both the Bahara and Bhitara Ratna Bhandar will be handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for inspection using advanced scanning instruments once all valuables are shifted.
