Odisha: SOP Prepared for Shifting of Cupboards and Chests of Lord Jagannath’s Srimandir
Bhubaneswar: Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the apex body that governs the management of Srimandir, the abode of Lord Jagannath, — has drafted the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the shifting of cupboards and chests, conduct of necessary scanning with the latest scientific tools and repair of Ratna Bhandar. Ratna Bhandar is the treasure trove of Srimandir. According to SJTA chief Arabinda Padhee, the SOP was drafted after a crucial meeting of the SJTA Managing Committee held at Puri on Monday.
Padhee informed that five to six proposals were discussed in the crucial meeting today.
“Already all ornaments and valuables from the inner and outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar have been shifted to a temporary strong-room. The old articles like cupboards are still inside the inner chamber. Similarly, discussion was held on the laser scanning and other scientific techniques to be used before the repair of the Ratna Bhandar,” said the SJTA chief.
The SJTA chief administrator further informed that a detailed discussion on SOP, including shifting of empty articles such as cupboards and technical inspection for scanning, was done. The Odisha government will institute a technical expert committee and whatever technology or technique will be used by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it will be made after taking the state government into confidence. The Managing Committee has approved the SOP and it will be submitted to the Odisha government, he said.
The SJTA chief administrator further informed that discussion was also held on the draft Shree Jagannath Temple Land Management Rules. The document was approved by the Managing Committee. The Rules will be implemented after approval from the state government.
On July 11, an 11-member high-level committee constituted for reopening of the Ratna Bhandar had entered into the Bhitar Bhandar or inner chamber of the temple and resumed shifting of ornaments. The ornaments, stored in cupboards and iron chests, were then shifted so as to enable the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out repair work.
The committee chairman Justice Biswanath Rath along with Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee and nine other members had spent nearly seven and half hours inside Ratna Bhandar which was closed for over four decades.
Justice Rath had dismissed the presence of any tunnel in the Bhitarpandar. He also rejected the rumour of presence of any creatures in the treasure trove.
“A lot of stories were being circulated in social media that there is a tunnel and presence of creatures. We spent over seven hours inside the inner chamber. We didn’t see any tunnel nor any creatures, including a cockroach, ant or frog,” Justice Rath had told reporters.
