Jagannath temple Ratna Bhandar: Odisha to probe why duplicate keys failed to open locks | India News
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NEW DELHI: The Odisha government announced on Monday that it will investigate the reasons why the duplicate keys failed to open the locks of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, the treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, on July 14.
Jagannath temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said that members of a special committee tried to open three locks on the doors of the inner chamber using two ‘duplicate’ keys available with the Puri district administration but none of the locks could be opened.
The special committee members followed the standard operating procedure after the duplicate key failed to open the door on Sunday and broke the locks in the presence of a magistrate to enter the inner chamber, as per Padhee.
“A lie was spread over the availability of duplicate keys of the Ratna Bhandar during the previous BJD government. This matter will definitely be investigated. Who had said about the duplicate keys, and under whose instruction will also be examined,” said Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
The Ratna Bhandar was reopened on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure.
The minister expressed hope that no one had touched Lord Jagannath’s ornaments, as doing so would have consequences. He added that a clear picture of the situation can be obtained after the completion of the inventory.
“I hope that such an incident might not have happened. We can get a clear picture of this after completion of the inventory,” Harichandan said.
Meanwhile, the government had attempted to reopen the Ratna Bhandar for a physical examination on April 4 2018 but it remained unsuccessful due to the unavailability of the keys. However, the government said duplicate keys were found after some days.
The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar was a significant political issue during the recent assembly elections, which saw the BJP come to power, dethroning the BJD that had been ruling the state since 2000.
Senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy called for the public release of the Justice Raghubir Das Commission report, which was formed to investigate the issue of missing keys of the shrine’s treasury. The commission submitted its report to the state government in November 2018, but it was not made public.
Both the opposition party Congress and the BJD have urged the BJP government to provide a clear explanation to the public regarding the Ratna Bhandar keys.
Odisha Congress spokesperson Biswaranjan Mohanty questioned the reason for breaking the locks and the whereabouts of the original keys, stating that the people are eagerly waiting for answers.
The Ratna Bhandar, situated in the temple’s basement, consists of two parts: the outer chamber, which stores ornaments used by the deities daily, and the inner chamber, which houses numerous pieces of jewelry.
Jagannath temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said that members of a special committee tried to open three locks on the doors of the inner chamber using two ‘duplicate’ keys available with the Puri district administration but none of the locks could be opened.
The special committee members followed the standard operating procedure after the duplicate key failed to open the door on Sunday and broke the locks in the presence of a magistrate to enter the inner chamber, as per Padhee.
“A lie was spread over the availability of duplicate keys of the Ratna Bhandar during the previous BJD government. This matter will definitely be investigated. Who had said about the duplicate keys, and under whose instruction will also be examined,” said Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan.
The Ratna Bhandar was reopened on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure.
The minister expressed hope that no one had touched Lord Jagannath’s ornaments, as doing so would have consequences. He added that a clear picture of the situation can be obtained after the completion of the inventory.
“I hope that such an incident might not have happened. We can get a clear picture of this after completion of the inventory,” Harichandan said.
Meanwhile, the government had attempted to reopen the Ratna Bhandar for a physical examination on April 4 2018 but it remained unsuccessful due to the unavailability of the keys. However, the government said duplicate keys were found after some days.
The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar was a significant political issue during the recent assembly elections, which saw the BJP come to power, dethroning the BJD that had been ruling the state since 2000.
Senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy called for the public release of the Justice Raghubir Das Commission report, which was formed to investigate the issue of missing keys of the shrine’s treasury. The commission submitted its report to the state government in November 2018, but it was not made public.
Both the opposition party Congress and the BJD have urged the BJP government to provide a clear explanation to the public regarding the Ratna Bhandar keys.
Odisha Congress spokesperson Biswaranjan Mohanty questioned the reason for breaking the locks and the whereabouts of the original keys, stating that the people are eagerly waiting for answers.
The Ratna Bhandar, situated in the temple’s basement, consists of two parts: the outer chamber, which stores ornaments used by the deities daily, and the inner chamber, which houses numerous pieces of jewelry.
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