Bhubaneswar: Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan affirmed on Friday that the Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar in Puri does not contain a secret tunnel or chamber.
The minister informed the reporters, “The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey conducted by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) confirmed that the Ratna Bhandar does not have any secret chambers or tunnels.”
He added that during the survey, some cracks were discovered inside the Ratna Bhandar, which the ASI planned to repair after Kartika Purnima.
According to Harichandan, the state administration was waiting for the ASI’s final report, which will be published soon. “Due to the high volume of visitors to the temple during the Kartika month, it is not possible to complete the repairs right now.”
After Ratna Bhandar has been repaired, the jewels will be counted. Additionally, in consideration of security concerns, the counting procedure would take place inside the Ratna Bhandar.
