A 26-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started an inspection of the ‘Ratna Bhandar’ (treasury) of Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple on Wednesday.
Led by Additional Director General Janhwij Sharma, the team includes experts from the Hyderabad-based CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI).
The temple authorities requested the ASI to conduct scanning and geophysical investigation of the Ratna Bhandar before beginning repair and renovation work. The inner chamber of the treasury, which had been sealed for 46 years, was reopened in July.
The valuables were subsequently moved to a temporary strong room within the temple.
Arabinda Padhee, chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), confirmed that the operation is being conducted under ASI supervision and in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the state government.
As a result, access to the 12th-century shrine has been restricted from 1 pm on Wednesday until the inspection concludes.
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