A high-level committee has proposed to the Odisha government that the inner chamber of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ treasury at the Puri Jagannath Temple be reopened on July 14. This decision, announced by Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of the committee, came after a meeting held in Puri.
The ‘Ratna Bhandar’ treasury was last accessed in 1978, making this reopening a significant event after 46 years. During the meeting, the chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) was asked to present the duplicate key of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’. However, due to the ongoing Rath Yatra, the key could not be produced. The administrator has now been directed to submit the key on July 14.
If the duplicate key fails to work, the committee has decided to proceed by breaking the lock to gain access to the treasury. Detailed discussions on the standard operating procedures for reopening the treasury were also part of the meeting.
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