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| Puri Jagannath temple Rathna Bhander (treasure house) odishabytes.com |
Above image: Rathana Bhander in the shape of the temple. Maharajah Rajit Singh of Punjab (undivided India) centuries ago had bequeathed ihe Koh-i-noor diamond to this temple. But subsequently after his death, after Second Anglo-Sikh War of March 29, 1849, the Kingdom was annexed by the company. Duleep Singh, the ten-year-old son of Ranjit Singh, was compelled to hand over the diamond. along with famous Timur Ruby. EIC gifted them to Queen Victoria, a greedy royal head fond of valuable gems..................
The Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri, was opened on Sunday after over 46 years for an audit. A 12-member team led by the temple's chief administrator, Arabinda Padhee, and including Orissa High Court judge Biswanath Rath, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, and temple servitors, entered the treasury.
The team first accessed the outer chamber at 1:28 PM and spent over an hour transferring valuables to a temporary strong room inside the temple premises. However, upon reaching the inner chamber, they were compelled to break the three locks as the keys provided were unusable. Despite gaining entry, the team decided not to open the wooden chests and almirahs in the inner chamber due to time constraints.
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| .Puri Jagannath temple and Rathna Bhander,thestatesman.com |
The valuables from the outer chamber were moved to the Changda Mekap room, a secure temporary strong room within the temple, while those in the inner chamber are yet to be transferred. A subsequent operation will be planned after the Bahuda Yatra (return car festival) and other related rituals. The inner chamber holds immense historical and religious significance as it contains precious ornaments and jewels donated by rulers such as Eastern Ganga monarch Anangabhima Dev III and Gajapati Kapilendra Dev. According to the temple’s Madala Panji chronicle, Anangabhima Dev III alone contributed more than 250 kg of gold.
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| Puri jagannath temple, odisha. assets.hmtvlive.com |
The last inventory of the Ratna Bhandar was conducted in 1978 by a nine-member committee headed by Odisha Governor B.D. Sharma. The inventory documented 454 gold articles weighing 128.38 kg and 293 silver articles weighing 221.53 kg in both chambers. The inner chamber held 367 gold items weighing 43.64 kg and 231 silver items weighing 148.78 kg, while the outer chamber contained 87 gold items weighing 84.74 kg and 62 silver items weighing 73.64 kg. The inner chamber was opened twice in 1982 and 1985 to retrieve ornaments for Lord Balabhadra and to silver-clad the sanctum sanctorum gate, but no audits were conducted during these openings.
Inside the inner chamber, the team observed five wooden chests, four wooden almirahs, and one steel almirah. Some items and dust-like material were found on the floor, and there was visible seepage from rainwater, making the floor wet. The structural condition of the inner chamber raised concerns, and the ASI plans to inspect the chamber after transferring all valuables to a secure location. Structural safety remains a top priority, and the temple administration will repair the chamber before returning the treasures.
The operation was preceded by rituals, including prayers to Lord Lokanath, the treasury's guardian deity, to receive the symbolic “Agyanmala” signifying divine consent. Offerings were also made to Goddess Bimala and Goddess Lakshmi. Several bats flew out when the chamber was opened, though no snakes were found, despite earlier concerns. The Snake Helpline was on standby but was not called to assist.
The reopening of the treasury brought back memories of the 2018 controversy over the missing keys to the inner chamber. A judicial inquiry was launched by the Odisha government, spending ₹22.27 lakh, but the report remains unpublished. The disappearance of the keys became a significant political issue during the recent assembly elections, with the BJP emphasizing it as part of their campaign for Odia pride (Odia Asmita). Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed his joy over the event, linking it to the state's cultural resurgence.
The Ratna Bhandar, located near the temple’s Jagamohana, resembles a temple structure and is divided into two chambers—the Bahara Bhandar (outer chamber) and Bhitara Bhandar (inner chamber). The outer chamber is occasionally opened for festivals to retrieve ornaments for decorating the deities. However, the inner chamber remains largely sealed, with its contents untouched for decades. The next steps involve shifting all valuables from the inner chamber to the temporary strong room, followed by a comprehensive audit and inventory. The entire process underscores the cultural, religious, and historical importance of the Jagannath Temple and its treasures while addressing concerns over their safety and preservation.
https://www.navrangindia.in/2022/09/kohinoor-diamond-maharajah-ranjit-singh.html
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