3 min readBhubaneswarMar 26, 2026 05:30 AM IST
A team of 15 people took six hours to complete the inventory of valuables used for daily rituals at the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of the 12th-century Puri Jagannath Temple.
The inventory process began on Wednesday after 48 years, with temple officials, the chairman of the high-power committee, servitors, bank officials, an RBI representative and gemmologists among those who witnessed it.
Officials entered the treasure trove at 12:09 pm — the auspicious time chosen for the process. With the Odisha government deciding to 3D map the jewellery, devotees can now better understand the valuables stored inside.
“The valuables were tallied with the 1978 list, when the inventory was last done. In the second phase, an inventory of the valuables stored in the Bahar Bhandar (outer chamber) will be conducted. The process is being done in a transparent manner,” temple chief administrator Arvind Padhee said after the completion of the first phase of the inventory.
Padhee said those who were part of the process have taken an oath not to reveal details of the valuables.
“We have done 3D mapping of each of the precious valuables, which will help create a ready reference of the jewellery for future requirements. The entire process has also been computerised,” said Padhee.
3D mapping creates detailed digital three-dimensional representations of real objects, providing accurate information about the jewellery.
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Welcoming the decision to 3D map the valuables, devotees and Jagannath culture researchers said such an effort will clear the air about the myths surrounding the Ratna Bhandar.
The treasure trove contains gold, diamonds, pearls, and gemstones, donated by the erstwhile royals of Puri and devotees over the centuries. The state government has included two gemologists on the committee because some precious metals could not be audited during the 1978 inventory process.
Researchers said Gajapati Kapilendra Dev donated a massive amount of gold, ornaments, and utensils to the deities in 1466, many of which were used for centuries. History also has it that Charles Gomes, the then collector of Puri, documented the Ratna Bhandar in 1805, during which many ancient gold coins and valuables were uncovered.
The Ratna Bhandar reopened on July 14, 2024, after 46 years. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the National Geophysical Research Institute carried out technical surveys, including laser scanning and ground-penetrating surveys, to check for any secret chamber inside the Ratna Bhandar and found none.
