Repair work of Ratna Bhandar in Puri Srimandir to resume on January 3

The repair work of Jagannath temple Ratna Bhandar in Puri is set to resume on January 3 after a brief halt, official sources said on Thursday.

Prior to the pause, lime plaster has been removed from both the inner and outer sections of the Deities’ treasure trove (i.e Bhitara Ratna Bhandar and Bahara Ratna Bhandar), revealing cracks on the stone surfaces beneath. These cracks have been attributed to the expansion of iron rods used to bond the stones, leading to the deterioration of several stones.

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The plan now is to replace all the stones showing cracks. In addition, rusted iron beams will be substituted with steel beams, akin to those utilised in the Jagamohan.

Once the internal preservation of the Ratna Bhandar is completed, attention will turn to repairing the outer section (Bahara Ratna Bhandar).

“Repair work will begin tomorrow and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team is prepared for it. The work will be completed as per a schedule previously decided by the ASI. Thereafter, other works will be carried out,” Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said mediapersons.

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“Regarding the technical aspects, it would be better if the ASI authorities explained the details. A report of the GPR-GPS survey has already been received. Scaffolding and de-plastering works have been completed,” the District Collector stated.

“However, ASI’s plan of action will be detailed to you (media) at a later stage,” the District Collector added.

Worth mentioning, repair work of the 12th-century shrine’s Ratna Bhandar had been suspended from December 25 to January 2 in view of the high influx of devotees during the year-end.