The BJP has been trying to corner the BJD in Odisha on the issue of missing keys of Ratnabhandar (temple treasury) of Sri Jagannath temple amid the ongoing elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, raked up this issue in one of his recent poll rallies.
In a veiled jibe at bureaucrat-turned-politician V.K. Pandian—a close aide of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik—Modi said the keys might have gone to Tamil Nadu. This evoked sharp reaction from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin who said Modi’s remarks were intended to foster enmity between the two states.
Stalin said the prime minister should exemplify ethical conduct in election campaigns by focusing on constructive criticism, and not by spreading hatred.
It seems the state BJP functionaries have not appraised Modi about the real status of the Ratnabhandar issue. A probe into the issue reveals a different story.
In February, following a directive of the high court to open the Ratnabhandar, the state government constituted a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Arijit Pashayat. Many noted personalities of the state like Dr R.K. Panda, former chairperson of Allahabad Bank Bidhubhusan Samal and chartered accountant A.K. Sabat were members of the panel along with the chief administrator of the temple, district magistrate, superintendent of police and temple MC members.
The committee decided to open the Ratnabhandar during the “absence of lord Jagannath” at the temple during the annual rath yatra.
The BJP asks why the treasury is not opened while the Temple Act says it should be opened in every three years to make a fresh inventory. The BJD responds that during the coalition government from 2000 to 2009, BJP leader Biswabhusan Harichadan handled the law portfolio and Sri Jagannath temple comes under this ministry.
In 2018, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), in response to a PIL, stated in the high court that Ratnabhandar needs urgent repairs as water seepage has been noticed from outside. The high court directed the state government to open the Ratnabhandar for repairs.
The state government had handed over this 12th century temple— considered as one of the four “Dhamas" of Hindu faith—to the ASI since 1976 for maintenance and repair.
The state government formed a panel comprising persons like Er. GC Mitra, the then ASI superintendent, temple officials, district police chief and the district magistrate to open the Ratnabhandra. The team abandoned their attempt as the district magistrate reported missing of the keys. The district magistrate informed that the keys were not with the government treasury.
As per the Temple Act-1960 rule 6, keys of the Ratnabhandar must be deposited with the government treasury after their use. The treasury records show that the keys were not returned after the Ratnabhandar was last opened in 1985 for repairs. There are two Ratna Bhandaras in the temple. One is used to store daily use valuables and ornaments of the deities called Bahar Bhandar. It is operated by a traditional Bhandar servitor called “Mekap”. Another is called Bhitar Ratnabhandar wherein precious ornaments and articles are stored.
During the regime of Gajapati, one key was handed over to Pattajoshi Mahapatra, the traditional chief administrator of the temple, and another with the king. The state government took over the temple management after a thirty year legal battle in the apex court and passed a legislation 1956-60 for its management known as “Sri Jagannath temple Act”.
After much hue and cry in the media and among devotees, the state government had appointed Justice Raghubir Das as a one-man judicial commission to assess the situation leading to the loss of keys and suggestion for its safe keeping. Justice Raghubir Das within a year submitted an inconclusive report to the state government. The same is yet to be tabled in the assembly.
The opposition political leaders moved the high court over the issue and the court directed the state government to open the treasury to conduct repairs and to make fresh inventory of the wealth of the deities. They demanded to tally the old and the new inventory lists to ascertain whether anything was missing.
Inventory of the articles in Ratnabhandar was last done in 1978 and a list of each ornament with their weight and description of precious jewels studded on the ornaments was made in the presence of district magistrate, treasury officer, temple administrator and superintendent of police. The detailed list was submitted to the state government.
As per the 1978 inventory, there are 362 items of gold ornaments weighing 250 kg that includes giant Tiaras, limbs like feet, earlobes (kundal) hands, insignias and forehead Chitta studded with precious stones like diamonds, ruby and emerald worth crores. It also contains 14 quintals of silver ornaments, as per the inventory list.
