ASI conducts preliminary inspection of Ratna Bhandar

Puri: Experts and scientists of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Wednesday carried out a preliminary inspection of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, officials said.The team, including 17 technical members, also conducted a laser scanning of the structure.

The temple authorities had earlier urged the ASI to initiate scanning and geophysical investigation of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ before undertaking its repair and renovation work.The exercise took place from 2 pm to 5 pm.

The ASI team, led by its Additional Director General Janhwij Sharma, also comprises experts from Hyderabad-based CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI).

“Today, we conducted laser scanning, and the NGRI team will visit again and conduct the ground-penetrating survey. This will help in conservation and repair work of the Ratna Bhandar,” Sharma said.

Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee told reporters that the first day of the inspection work was over.The team conducted a detailed assessment using laser scanners for documentation and other information required for taking up the repair work, Padhee said. He said the ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey will be done at a later date.

“After getting reports from the ASI, the SJTA will place it before the Odisha government.

The repair work will begin only after completion of the inspection,” Padhee said.He said the whole operation is being carried out under the supervision of ASI, and adhering to the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) laid down by the State government.Asked about the possibility of the existence of any tunnel or hidden chamber inside the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, Sharma said the GPR survey is required to ascertain it.

Meanwhile, chairman of the high-level committee supervising the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ opening and repair work, Justice Biswanath Rath, thanked the ASI team for the inspection.The panel is hopeful that the inspection work will be completed by September, Rath added.

The inner chamber of Lord Jagannth’s treasury was opened after a gap of 46 years in July to take stock of the inventory of valuables and repair of the structure. Ornaments and other valuable items were later shifted to a temporary strong room inside the temple, for the repair work.

The temple administration put on hold the entry of devotees to the 12th-century shrine from 1 pm on Wednesday till the completion of the ASI inspection.It also said rituals were conducted in the morning for smooth inspection of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, which is located inside the main temple.