Open Ratna Bhandar of Shreemandir this month, Mohanty urges State govt
Senior BJP leader and former Odisha unit president Samir Mohanty demanded on Thursday that the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri be opened this month for a thorough assessment of valuables stored inside.
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Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and former Odisha unit president Samir Mohanty demanded on Thursday that the Ratna Bhandar of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri be opened this month for a thorough assessment of valuables stored inside.
He claimed that there are proofs of 'loot' from the treasury of the 12th century shrine, claiming that there is an atmosphere of disbelief among the people. As a result, the Ratna Bhandar should be opened this month to conduct a full inventory of gold and silver ornaments, gems, and jewelleries.
The senior BJP leader stated that the people of the state are not willing to wait another year to learn the specifics of the Ratna Bhandar. He believes the state government should take immediate action to open the Ratna Bhandar rather than waiting for the Rath Yatra next year.
The demand comes at a time when the figures for silver ornaments in the Ratna Bhandar, which were last counted in 1978, and the affidavit filed by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in the High Court recently differ.
Mohanty stated that the Ratna Bhandar had not been opened for 45 years after 1978, and that the recorded figures of the last count, details presented in the state Assembly, and figures given in the court affidavit do not match.
Because this raises suspicion, the BJP leader suggested that the Ratna Bhandar's ornaments be inventoried immediately rather than waiting until the next Rath Yatra.
In light of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee's hasty decision to open the Ratna Bhandar during the next Rath Yatra due to the pending court case, he said the state government must take immediate steps to open the treasury as the issue has sparked public suspicion.
