Puri: The Ratna Bhandar at the Jagannath Temple in Puri will reopen on July 18 (Thursday), informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee today.

The inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar will reopen between 9.51 AM and 12.15 PM on July 18 to shift the valuables to a strong room inside the temple, he said after attending the Ratna Bhandar Monitoring Committee meeting chaired by Justice Biswanath Rath here today.

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Jointly addressing the presser after the meeting, he said that the conservation work by the ASI will be carried out after shifting the valuables. After we hand it over to ASI, the team will perform repair work per the SOP. The key will not be handed over to the ASI. The key will be with the Collector.

"In case of missing a key of any almirah inside the Ratna Bhandar, the state government has allowed us to open the container by breaking the locks," he added.

Speaking to media persons on the condition of containers inside Ratna Bhandar, Justice Rath said, "Everything has been video graphed inside the inner chamber. The videography of almirahs and containers will be done again. We will try to complete the shifting of valuables in one day."

"An 11-member team will enter the inner chamber. Also, a technical team be kept as standby for further support in shifting the valuables. The state government has authorised the temple's chief administrator to take further course of action related to opening of Ratna Bhandar. Accordingly, we have kept everything ready and focusing on finishing the process in a day," the SJTA chief further said.

Worth mentioning, the 'mysterious' Ratna Bhandar at the Jagannath Temple was successfully opened on July 14 (Sunday). Following 4-hour-long operation, the team members had expressed their gratitude to Lord Jagannath for opening of the inner chamber of treasury after 46 years. During the operation, the valuables used for deities stored in outer chamber of Ratna Bhandar were shifted to a strong room. The team members broke the locks of inner treasury for entry and came out of the temple after inspecting the containers.