Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Ratna Bhandar, the treasure vault of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, has finally undergone its much awaited renovation. Under the careful supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), structural repairs were made to the holy vault’s bhitara (inner) and bahara (outer) chambers. Beginning on September 18, 2024, the repair and restoration project took 95 days to complete, or 332 hours and 47 minutes of focused work. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s (SJTA) Chief Administrator, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, provided this information on Monday at a press conference in Puri.
Dr. Padhee claims that in order to evaluate the current state of the centuries-old building, laser scanning was done before the repair. The goal of the renovations was to guarantee the durability, safety, and structural soundness of both vaults. Depending on the needs of each phase, the meticulously planned sessions lasted anywhere from two to eighteen hours each day.
Granite and grouting were used to strengthen and replace broken stones throughout the conservation and restoration procedure. To increase the stability of the Ratna Bhandar, a total of fifteen stainless steel supports were erected both within and outside. The vault doors also received special attention: the inner door will be silver-plated following structural restoration, while the exterior iron gate, which was built 200 years ago, has been replaced with a new stainless steel door.
In order to maintain the site’s holiness and historical significance, Dr. Padhee underlined that every repair operation was done with the highest care. An important milestone in the larger preservation efforts of one of India’s most treasured historic temples has been reached with the successful completion of this work.
