Puri's 12th-century Jagannath Temple opened its Ratna Bhandar treasure trove for inventory after 48 years. A team of 15 spent six hours tallying gold, diamonds and gemstones against a 1978 list using 3D mapping. The process included an old-fashioned oath of secrecy.
A team entered the Ratna Bhandar, the inner treasure trove of Puri's 12th-century Jagannath Temple, at 12:09 pm on Wednesday, marking the first inventory in 48 years. The 15-member group, including temple officials, the high-power committee chairman, servitors, bank officials, an RBI representative and gemologists, spent six hours matching gold, diamonds, pearls and gemstones used in daily rituals against the 1978 inventory list. Temple chief administrator Arvind Padhee stated, “The valuables were tallied with the 1978 list... In the second phase, an inventory of the valuables stored in the Bahar Bhandar (outer chamber) will be conducted. The process is being done in a transparent manner.” Participants took an oath not to disclose details. Odisha government teams used 3D mapping for each item and computerized the records for future reference. The trove holds centuries-old donations from Puri's erstwhile royals and devotees. Two gemologists joined because some items evaded audit in 1978. Historically, Gajapati Kapilendra Dev donated gold and ornaments in 1466, while Puri collector Charles Gomes documented valuables including ancient coins in 1805. The chamber reopened on July 14, 2024, after 46 years, following Archaeological Survey of India and National Geophysical Research Institute surveys that found no secret chambers. Devotees and researchers welcomed the 3D mapping to dispel myths around the Ratna Bhandar.