The Jagannath Temple, one among the four dhaams as per Hinduism, draws massive crowds from across the country. (file photo)The precious jewellery and valuables stored inside the Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of Puri Jagannath Temple have been found safe and match completely with the inventory list drawn out in 1978, temple officials have said.As the third phase of the inventory process resumed on Monday, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Padhee said the ongoing exercise is being carried out as per the 1978 inventory list following the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the state government.“We are doing the inventory process in a transparent and flawless manner. The current phase of inventory will continue on Tuesday as well. The entire process is being conducted under CCTV surveillance with presence of only authorised persons allowed. The process is also being video-graphed,” Padhee told reporters after completion of the process.The phased inventory process of the treasure trove of the 12th-century shrine has been underway since it started in March 2026, after a gap of over 48 years. The second phase was held in May.Focus on ‘accuracy’ over deadlineThe SJTA chief administrator said it would be difficult to guess the exact timeframe it would take to complete the inventory process. “We are focussing on accuracy and transparency in the process rather than doing it in a hurried manner,” said Padhee.The SJTA has also been doing 3D mapping and scientific cataloguing of the jewellery and valuables of the treasury as part of the process.The SJTA has included certified gemmologists in the inventory process to identify the precious gemstones attached with the jewellery and valuables. During the 1978 inventory process, a number of precious gemstones of the Ratna Bhandar couldn’t be audited due to lack of expertise, said officials.Story continues below this adGemmologists roped in“As precious gemstones like hira (diamonds), nila (blue sapphires), moti (pearls) and manikya (rubies) are attached to the valuables of the deities, the inventory process is taking longer than expected. We are taking help of gemmologists to identify such gemstones,” said the SJTA administrator.Officials also stated that some precious jewellery items are stored in certain wooden boxes inside the treasury, which will be included in the inventory process in the forthcoming phase.After completion of the inventory process, the matter will be placed before the managing committee of the 12th-century shrine for approval following which the state government will take a call on whether to make the list of valuables public or not.Safety of the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath Temple was a major political issue during the 2024 election with top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, targeting the then BJD dispensation over the issue. They questioned whether the valuables stored inside the Ratna Bhandar were safe. In the 2024 Assembly polls, the BJP defeated the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and came to power in Odisha.Story continues below this adThe Ratna Bhandar, also known as the secret chambers, was opened after 46 years on July 14, 2024, for repair, renovation and inventory of the valuables.Sujit Bisoyi is a Special Correspondent with the Indian Express and covers Odisha. His interests are in politics, policy and people’s stories. He tweets at @bisoyisujit87 ... Read More Tags:Jagannath Temple