Odisha: Front gate of Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar to be gold-plated for easier recognition

BHUBANESWAR: The Srimandir Management Committee (SMC), the apex body overseeing the management of Lord Jagannath’s temple in Puri, has decided to gold-plate the front gate of the Ratna Bhandar, the temple’s treasure chamber. This decision was made during the latest meeting of the SMC, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Visitors to the temple often fail to recognise the Ratna Bhandar, the sacred repository of the treasures belonging to Lord Jagannath, His elder brother Lord Balabhadra, and sister Devi Subhadra, as its current front gate appears unremarkable and blends in with other temple gates.

The committee decided that gold-plating the front gate would enhance the visual significance of the Ratna Bhandar, making it easier for devotees and visitors to identify this important part of the temple. The gold required for the project will be sourced from donations collected in the temple’s “hundi” (donation box).

As per the provisions of the Srimandir Hundi Act, the Chief Minister of Odisha serves as the head of all gold and silver ornaments donated to the temple. Consequently, a formal letter will be written to Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, seeking his approval to use the gold for this purpose.

“The front gate of the Ratna Bhandar needs a different look . In this context, during the Srimandir Management Committee meeting, it was discussed that gold-plating the gate would elevate its significance,” said Madhab Mohapatra, a member of the SMC.

Mohapatra also noted that approximately 25 to 30 kilograms of gold, collected from the donation box, is currently stored in the State Bank of India. According to the Srimandir Hundi Act, both the Chief Minister and the finance minister serve as the president and secretary overseeing these donations. Therefore, a formal request for the Chief Minister’s permission will be made to proceed with the gold-plating project.