Resetment over missing keys of Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple

Bhubaneswar: The missing keys of the inner temple treasury (Ratna Bhandar) of 12th century  Sri Jagannath  temple  has triggered  a controversy with the Opposition BJP seeking a clarification from  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Puri Sankaracharaya demanding a probe on the issue.

BJP spokesman Pitambar Acharaya  questioned the silence maintained by both Chief  Minister Naveen Patnaik and Law Minister Pratap Jena  on the missing keys.

He came down heavily on the  ruling  of BJD government for playing the sentiment of  4.5 crore people  of  odisha besides  lakhs of the devotees of Lod Jagannath across the country and abroad.

Mr Acharaya said  under whose custody the  keys of the "Ratna Bhandar"( temple treasury) was kept and  who is responsible for the loss of the  keys. The  chief  minister, he said  must clarify as to whether the   keys of  Ratna Bhandar is really lost.

As per the  Jagannath temple Act, the Ratna Bhandar is to open in every three  years to examine and keep the  record  of the gold ornaments and other precious metals of the  deities of the  Jagannath temple stored inside the  temple treasury.

The  BJP leader said  during  the last 18 years of the BJD  rule  no attempt has been made to open the inner temple  treasury of the Jagannath temple  even for once.

It was only on March 3 last on the direction of the Odisha  high Court a  16 member team inspected the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath temple  but they did not open the  inner Ratna Bhandar in the absence of key and returned  empty handed  examining the  inner portion of the Ratna Bhandar   from outside through a  iron  gate.(UNI)