Four years ago, the doors were opened to the legend of Jagannath temple in Puri on the orders of the High Court. The scandal involved the ‘hiding’ of one of the three keys to the service’s treasury. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) completed some restoration work on the repository during the Rath Yatra that year on the orders of the High Court. This time, the temple administration may agree to the opening of the jewel vault due to the collapse of the wall of Jagannathdev’s sanctum sanctorum.
Last Wednesday, part of the wall behind the Balabhadra between the three idols seated on the Ratnavedi in the sanctum sanctorum of the Jagannath temple collapsed. It spread anxiety among everyone from servicemen to devotees. Later, however, it was learned that the problem was not that serious. The thick coating of lime on the walls of the temple is a hazard. It was because of the movement of a rat, or cockroaches.
The temple administration feels that it is necessary to re-examine the condition of the nearby jewels starting from the entire sanctum sanctorum. There was a meeting of the managing committee of Jagannath temple on Saturday. So it has been decided that everything will be inspected again by ASI.
But to open Jagannath’s treasury is not an easy task. There are many flashes in it. It is not yet clear when the cleaning will be completed. ASI’s Odisha circle superintendent Arun Mallick, however, inspected the sanctum sanctorum situation in the presence of the Jagannath temple’s managing committee on Saturday itself. According to sources in the temple’s managing committee, the ASI does not think it is a concern. But the temple authorities are not willing to be completely reassured by just seeing this. They want it to be open and checked.
