Puri: The mystery related to the missing keys of Srimandir Ratnabhandar (treasure house) is yet to be solved even though a judicial commission, constituted to look into the issue, submitted its report around 20 months ago. The state government has spent Rs 22, 27, 918 on the panel to probe the missing keys episode.
Many devotees and locals, meanwhile, have raised apprehension on the safety of ornaments and precious items stored at the Bhitara Ratnabhandar (inner chamber) of the temple treasury.
Servitors of the 12th century shrine usually open the outer chamber of the temple treasury quite a few times in a year to collect ornaments for the Suna Besha (golden attire) rituals of the presiding deities. However, the inner chamber of Ratnabhandar was opened for the last time in 1985, sources said.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee had deliberated on the structural status of the Ratnabhandar in a meeting March 20, 2018. Some members of the temple panel had raised issues related to the structural status of Ratnabhandar in the wake of major repair work at Srimandir Jagamohan.
The issue had also reached Orissa High Court. The court had directed the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to examine the structural status of the temple treasury.
In accordance with the HC order, a 16-member team of experts and senior government officials opened the Bahara (outer chamber) Ratnabhandar and examined its status April 4, 2018 after receiving the required permission from the state government.
However, the team did not open the inner chamber of Ratnabhandar but examined its status from outside. But, later it came to the fore that the keys to the inner chamber of Ratnabhandar were missing. The issue was raised at a meeting of the Srimandir managing committee May 28, 2018.
The state government had formed a judicial commission to look into the issues related to the missing keys June 6, 2018 after facing criticism from several quarters. Retired Justice Raghubir Das was appointed as the head of the judicial panel. The commission was told to submit its report within three months.
The SJTA, Puri district administration and some private individuals and organisations had submitted their affidavits to the judicial panel. In the meantime, the then Puri Collector Aravind Agrawal informed the media June 13, 2018 that ‘duplicate’ keys to the inner chamber of Ratnabhandar were found from an envelope at the district treasury. In this scenario, the state government had extended the tenure of the judicial panel till December 7, 2018. However, the Raghubir Das commission had submitted its 324-page final report on the missing key November 30, 2018, sources said.
It is learnt that the state government had spent Rs 22, 27, 918 on the judicial panel to probe the missing key episode. However, the mystery with regard to the missing key remains unsolved.
“The state government did not reveal anything on the missing key episode even though 20 months have passed since the judicial panel submitted its final report. Many people have raised apprehension over the safety of ornaments and precious metals stored at Srimandir Ratnabhandar. To allay people’s concern, the government should open the inner chamber of temple treasury and take stock of the ornaments,” said Dillip Baral, a devotee.