Puri Jagannath Temple's treasure chambers were opened on July 14, 2024; inventory is scheduled to begin on March 25, 2026
After nearly five decades, Odisha's iconic Jagannath Temple in Puri saw its legendary Ratna Bhandar (treasure chambers) opened on July 14, 2024, and is scheduled to begin checking the Ratna Bhandar on March 25, 2026. The last time anyone did this was back in 1978.
This time, the Ratna Bhandar was renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India, and the inventory will be carried out by designated temple and government teams, and the process covers the bahara (outer) and bhitar (inner) chambers.
Inventory in 3 phases
The inventory is rolling out in three phases and should wrap up by April 19, just in time for Akshaya Tritiya.
Even with all this going on, temple rituals and darshan won't stop, so visitors can still have their usual experience.
The goal? To digitize and photograph every valuable item for better security and transparency.
With ₹5 crore set aside for the project, it's a big move to protect one of India's most famous temples while keeping things open and accountable for everyone.