The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday reiterated that the Ratna Bhandar of Puri Srimandir needs repairing.
The Superintendent of Archaeology (Puri Mandal) of the ASI, Dibishad Garnaik said this after submitting an affidavit in the Orissa High Court regarding the same.
Speaking to the media, Garnaik said, “The Temple is too old and the Ratna Bhandar needs conservation works to keep it intact. During our inspection of the outer Ratna Bhandar in 2018, we found a hollow sound from the walls, some stones had fallen down, and there was water seepage as well. The inner Ratna Bhandar has never been opened.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the Srimandir Managing Committee has decided to request the Odisha government to allow the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to reopen and repair the Ratna Bhandar during Rath Yatra 2024.
The decision was taken after the ASI shot a letter to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) requesting permission to conduct a survey of the Ratna Bhandar.
The Managing Committee has also agreed to request the State government to constitute a high-level committee with a retired Supreme Court justice to supervise the whole operation of reopening and repair of the inner Ratna Bhandar.