Puri, Aug 23: Empty iron chests and almirahs were shifted from the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to a room near Niladri Vihar museum located on the premises of the 12th-century shrine, a senior official said.
Jewellery and other precious items stored in those containers were shifted to temporary strong rooms inside the temple in two phases in July when the Ratna Bhandar was reopened after 46 years for an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure.
Following the standard operating procedure, the empty iron chests along with iron and wooden almirahs were shifted in presence of Justice Biswanath Rath, chairman of an empowered committee, said Arabinda Padhee, an IAS officer and chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
A portion of the wooden door of the outer Ratna Bhandar had to be chiselled for the removal of empty iron chests and later, the door was repaired, he said.
The entire proceedings were videographed.
After completion of shifting of the empty chests and almirahs, both the inner and outer chambers of the treasury were sealed. Similarly, the room where those containers were stored was also locked and sealed, Padhee told media persons.
Now, the committee will write to ASI for proper scanning and geo-physical investigation of the Ratna Bhandar and also its restoration and conservation, Padhee added.
