128 kg gold, 221 kg silver inside Srimandir's Ratna Bhandar: Odisha Law minister

Puri: Law Minister Pratap Jena, through a written reply, informed the Odisha Assembly today that Puri Srimandir's Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) contains 128 kg gold ornaments, 221 kg silver utensils & other puja items. The minister was replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Dilip Ray.

Due to various reasons, weight of 14 gold and silver items could not be assessed, Jena informed.

The minister said that the above data was based on the list that was prepared in the year 1978 between May 5 and May 23 after an assessment.

Similarly, responding to another question from MLA Akash Das Nayak, Jena informed the Assembly that 60,418.353 acre land is in the name of Lord Jagannath.

Recently, Ratna Bhandar was opened for inspection by ASI and other concerned authorities for repair and preservation. The inspection was done by a 16-member team last month. The team found cracks in the roof of the outer Bhandar during the inspection which was conducted amid tight security.

The team inspected the two outer Bhandars, however, the inner Bhandar could not be inspected.