Ratna Bhandar repair will begin soon: Harichandan

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Sunday said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will soon begin repair work of Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple in Puri. The ASI will first assess and repair the outer chamber of the treasury, followed by the inner chamber, he said.

Harichandan said a minor correction has been made in the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the repair work and the date will be finalised soon. He emphasised that the rituals of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities will not be disrupted during the repair work.

On the issue of duplicate keys to the 'Ratna Bhandar', the Law Minister criticised the previous BJD government for allegedly creating "unnecessary drama" around the keys to avoid opening the treasury. "An investigation will be conducted, and those who played with the sentiments of Odia people and Jagannath traditions will be held accountable," he said.