The Odisha government has opened the iconic Ratna Bhandaar of the 12th century Jagannath Temple in Puri after 46 years.
Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandaar
- The Ratna Bhandaar is a priceless collection of treasures located on the north side of the Jagmohan (temple hall).
- The temple’s Ratna Bhandaar houses precious jewellery belonging to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, gifted over the years by followers and former kings.
- The Record of Rights maintained as per the Puri Sri Jagannath Temple Act, 1952 contains a list of precious jewellery and various adornments belonging to Lord Jagannath.
- It has two chambers: the inner chamber (inner chamber) and the outer chamber (outer chamber), which have been closed for the last 46 years.
- As per the last inventory made in 1978, the total storage capacity of the Ratna Bhandar is 128.38 kg of gold and 221.53 kg of silver.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the custodian of the temple and carried out a structural inspection of the Ratna Bhandar in 2008, but did not enter the inner chamber.
Key facts about Jagannath Temple
- The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the most revered Hindu temples in the state (India), dedicated to the worship of Lord Jagannath, who is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.
- Also known as the “White Pagoda”, it is one of the four pilgrimage sites of the Char Dham pilgrimage.
- It is also part of the Golden Triangle of Odisha, which consists of three major tourist destinations in the state that form a triangle and are well connected to each other.
- The other two sites are Bhubaneswar (City of Temples) and the Sun Temple at Konark (Black Pagoda).
- It was built in the 12th century by Ananta Varman Chodaganga Deva, a famous king of the Ganga Dynasty.
- It is a classic example of Kalinga architecture, with distinctive curved towers, intricate carvings and ornate sculptures.
- The Jagannath Temple has four gateways located at the midpoints of its boundary wall and facing the four directions. They are named after different animals.