Ratna Bhandar of Puri's Jagannath temple reopened after 46 years

PURI: Ratna Bhandar, the revered treasury of the 12th-century Jagannath temple in Puri, was reopened on Sunday after 46 years for an inventory of valuables and the repair of its structure, officials said.

The members of a committee set up by the state government for the purpose entered the temple around 12 pm, and after performing rituals, the treasury was reopened, they said.

The reopening of the Ratna Bhandar became a major political issue during the recently held assembly elections in the state. Targetting the then-ruling BJD over its missing keys, the BJP had promised that it would make efforts to reopen the treasury if it won the polls.