Puri: The Ratna Bhandar of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri will be opened on July 8, informed DB Garnayak, Superintendent of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Puri circle.

He said an inspection will be conducted on July 8, and the Ratna Bhandar will be opened in the presence of the core committee and the technical committee.

"As per the report submitted in 2018, an inspection revealed cracks, fallen stones, and missing iron rods, indicating poor conditions. Laser scanning detected cracks in the outer wall and joints, potentially allowing rainwater to enter," he added.

Worth mentioning, the ASI had conducted condition mapping of Ratna Bhandar's outer walls on northern side with laser scanning from November 28 to 29, 2023.

The following structural problems of the Ratna Bhandar were mentioned in the report for carrying out conservation works.

  1. The weathered and weak lime plaster of the slopped surface shows visible cracks at many locations which needs de-plastering and appropriate consolidation. These might have caused seepages with into the inner chamber.
  2. The junction area of Ratna Bhandar and Jagamohan Bada just below the 1st pidha needs strengthening and proper water-tightening.
  3. After de-plastering the outer three side walls if any major damage found, it will be taken care by appropriate conservation mechanism.