Puri Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar inventory to begin on March 25

Long-awaited counting and valuation (Ganati-Manati) process of the sacred treasures kept inside Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of Puri Jagannath Temple will commence on March 25, on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Shukla Saptami, official sources said on Monday.

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Announcing the decision, Chief Administrator of the temple, Arabinda Padhee, said the process will begin between 12.12 PM and 1.45 PM, as finalised during the temple managing committee meeting.

Devotees will be allowed to have darshan only from outside barricades during the counting process. To manage crowd pressure, the inventory exercise will not take place on Saturdays, Sundays, or days marked by heavy ritual schedules.

Officials noted that the last such exercise in 1978 had taken 72 days, and it is too early to predict how long the current process will take. The counting will be conducted strictly in accordance with government-issued Standard Operating Procedures.

Each day, the keys will be deposited in the treasury after use, ensuring full transparency. On days when counting takes place, extended working hours will be followed, and the entire procedure will be documented through videography to maintain accountability.

“On March 25th, on the auspicious occasion of Chaitra Shukla Paksha Saptami Tithi, we have received advice to begin the inventory and valuation process. The auspicious timing is scheduled between 12.12 PM and 1.45 PM. This decision was made with the consensus of the temple managing committee and based on the advice of everyone, including the temple priest, Tadau Karana, and other servitor members,” the Chief Administrator said.

“Since there are large crowds of devotees on Saturdays and Sundays, the counting process will not be conducted on those days. On other days, it will be carried out depending on the volume of rituals scheduled. A monthly calendar will be prepared to specify the days the work will take place. We will inform all concerned servitors in advance and also provide updates through the media,” the SJTA Chief Administrator stated.

“The State government has already decided that the process will be digitised, including photography, maintaining digital records, and e-cataloguing. When the inventory was last conducted in 1978, it took 72 days. However, we do not have information regarding how many hours of work were performed on each of those 72 days,” the SJTA official added.