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BHUBANESWAR: Amid growing demands from several quarters for reopening of Puri Jagannath temple’s Ratna Bhandar (treasury) for inventory of the valuables, the shrine administration’s recent affidavit in the Supreme Court is silent on the current status of the treasury.
The temple body filed an affidavit in the apex court, detailing the compliance of a series of directives issued in 2019 on the temple matters. In one of the directives, the Supreme Court had sought a report on the status of the valuables of the deities. In its reply, the temple administration only mentioned the last inventory conducted in 1978.
“The inventory of the gold and silver was conducted from May 13, 1978 to July 23, 1978. The valuables have been kept in the locked Ratna Bhandar amid round the clock security,” the temple’s affidavit read.
“The affidavit did not shed any light on the condition of the valuables and government’s plan of any fresh inventory. We are upset,” said a servitor.
A few days ago, the Orissa high court sought the status of a report submitted to the state government by Justice Raghubir Dash into the mysterious loss of the keys of the inner Ratna Bhandar. The commission was constituted on June 6, 2018, two months after the keys were found to be missing during a bid to inspect the Ratna Bhandar.
The temple administration also informed the apex court about its decision to slash remuneration of servitors and their suspension as well as termination from service if they are found disrupting the daily rituals in the shrine.
“A servitor would lose 25% and 50% of his remuneration in case of delay in rituals by 15 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively. Delay in one hour of the rituals would lead to complete deduction of the remuneration. If any sevak is found disrupting rituals thrice, he would be suspended. Intentional delay would result in termination from service,” the affidavit stated.
The temple body filed an affidavit in the apex court, detailing the compliance of a series of directives issued in 2019 on the temple matters. In one of the directives, the Supreme Court had sought a report on the status of the valuables of the deities. In its reply, the temple administration only mentioned the last inventory conducted in 1978.
“The inventory of the gold and silver was conducted from May 13, 1978 to July 23, 1978. The valuables have been kept in the locked Ratna Bhandar amid round the clock security,” the temple’s affidavit read.
“The affidavit did not shed any light on the condition of the valuables and government’s plan of any fresh inventory. We are upset,” said a servitor.
A few days ago, the Orissa high court sought the status of a report submitted to the state government by Justice Raghubir Dash into the mysterious loss of the keys of the inner Ratna Bhandar. The commission was constituted on June 6, 2018, two months after the keys were found to be missing during a bid to inspect the Ratna Bhandar.
The temple administration also informed the apex court about its decision to slash remuneration of servitors and their suspension as well as termination from service if they are found disrupting the daily rituals in the shrine.
“A servitor would lose 25% and 50% of his remuneration in case of delay in rituals by 15 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively. Delay in one hour of the rituals would lead to complete deduction of the remuneration. If any sevak is found disrupting rituals thrice, he would be suspended. Intentional delay would result in termination from service,” the affidavit stated.
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