Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Beginning on December 17, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will begin repairing the inner and outer Ratna Bhandar of Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple. Priority will be given to repairing the inner Ratna Bhandar. Details were released on Friday by ASI Deputy Superintendent Chittaranjan Das, who emphasized that the work will strictly follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set down by the temple management. Starting at 12:30 PM, the repair work is expected to go on until the evening.
Das stated, “Our focus will be on ensuring a smooth and disciplined darshan for devotees while maintaining the sanctity of the temple rituals. Senior ASI officials from Delhi will oversee the process. The repairs will follow ASI’s established norms and methods. This is a holistic conservation effort, requiring significant responsibility. All technical personnel from ASI will be involved, and the work will be closely monitored by our technical core committee and senior officials. Once the inner Ratna Bhandar is stabilized, we will proceed with the outer Ratna Bhandar.”
Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain affirmed that all arrangements for seamless darshan and uninterrupted rituals during the repair work would follow protocols established in a preparatory meeting. The preparatory meeting, chaired by the Deputy Chief Administrator of SJTA and the Puri Collector, was held at the Shree Jagannath Temple office. Discussions focused on ensuring smooth darshan and ritual proceedings during the repairs. Puri SP, ASI officials, and senior administrative personnel also attended the meeting.
