SJTA urges ASI for inspection, repair of Lord Jagannath's Ratna Bhandar

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Saturday wrote a letter to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to start the inspection work of the 'Ratna Bhandar' of the 12th-century shrine in Puri before undertaking repair and renovation of the Lord's treasury. The SJTA Chief Administrator, Arabinda Padhee in a letter to the ASI DG urged the central agency to take over the Ratna Bhandar and initiate scanning and geo-physical investigation using latest technology, conservation, repair and restoration of inner and outer chambers of the treasury of Lord Jagannath's temple in Puri. With both the inner and outer chambers of the treasury empty, the SJTA feels that the inspection works are required amid apprehensions about the presence of some secret tunnels or chambers inside the Ratna Bhandar. The SJTA has also urged ASI to conduct the necessary inspection work through IIT or CBRI-like institutions that have expertise while ensuring no adverse impact on the 12th-century shrine.