valuables of Jagannath shifted to temporary strongroom

BHUBANESWAR/PURI: All the ornaments, jewels and other articles from Bhitara Bhandar or inner chamber of Shree Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar were shifted to the designated temporary strongroom in the shrine on Thursday. The process, under the supervision of the 11-member core committee, lasted for seven-and-half hours.

As scheduled, the Bhitara Bhandar was opened at 9.51 am by the committee chairman Justice Biswanath Rath and temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee. Puri king Dibyasingha Deb also accompanied them and checked the Bhitara and Bahara Bhandar.

All contents of the four almirahs – three wooden and one steel – besides two wooden chests and one iron chest were emptied from the Bhitara Bhandar and shifted to the Khata Seja Ghara, the temporary strongroom inside the 12th century shrine.

“The valuables have been shifted to almirahs in the strongroom. The entire process, which ended at 5.15 pm, has been videographed,” said panel chief Justice Rath.

He said, all the containers inside the temporary strongroom have been locked. The entire structure is under high-security surveillance system and CCTVs. A technical team had accompanied the 11 core members.

Amid claims by some historians that there existed another chamber and tunnel inside the Bhitara Bhandar, Justice Rath said the team could not find any such thing inside. “Since there are talks about more chambers in the Bhitara Bhandar, we will meet again and seek government’s permission for re-examination of the inner chamber, if required. The present SOP has no scope of re-examination,” he said.

While a certain section of servitors claimed a poisonous snake was seen inside the Bhitara Bhandar during the shifting process but could not be caught, Snake Helpline member Subhendu Mallick said no snake was seen inside the inner chamber and their services were not required. The team remained stationed near Mukti Mandap on the day.