Antique idols found in inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar

Govt officials and servitors, who opened the Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath Temple after 46 years, discovered several antique idols crafted from precious metals in the treasury’s inner chamber. These idols were not listed in any previous inventories.
“The ancient small idols - perhaps 5 to 7 in number - have turned almost black over the last four decades. We did not touch them. We promptly lit a diya and worshipped them. They will be shifted to a temporary strongroom. Details like weight and make of the idols can be ascertained only after the inventory,” Biswanath Rath, chairman of an 11-member committee set up to oversee the inventory of Ratna Bhandar, said.
The servitors believe these idols were once worshipped by “bhandar mekaps”, or treasury caretakers, long ago. The members admitted they were unaware of the specific types of valuables stored in the chests and almirahs within the inner chamber.
There is widespread speculation that the inner chamber contains precious items like gold crowns, gold and tiger claws, golden wreaths, gold wheels, gold flowers, silver thrones, necklaces adorned with diamonds and pearls, and a gold-studded Mayur Chandrika, among other treasures.
“We found only gold and silver articles within the outer chamber, which is opened during annual festivals. We have no idea what is stored in the boxes in the inner chamber,” Durga Prasad Dasmohapatra, a servitor who was part of the team that entered Ratna Bhandar, said.