Puri, Nov 21: The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee on Friday decided to begin a phase-wise inventory and verification of the jewellery and valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar, making it the key outcome of a nearly four-hour meeting chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.

The exercise will be carried out as per the state government’s guidelines, and a digital record of the ornaments will also be created. The administration aims to complete the process before Akshaya Tritiya, considering the heavy schedule of upcoming rituals and the English New Year.

A supplementary SOP involving the Chief Administrator and committee members will be issued to oversee the process. The committee also discussed the legal procedure for bringing the silver bricks recovered from Emar Mutt under formal custody of the temple.

The meeting reviewed several aspects of temple management, including modifications in the darshan system at the 'Nata Mandap'. Separately, a dedicated SOP will be framed for VIP and VVIP protocol visits.

The temple budget was approved, and provisions will be made to allow devotees using ATMs in Puri to donate directly for the Holy Trinity. Gundicha Temple will soon be opened for devotees, with management to be handled by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration.

Temple land protection and security upgrades were prioritised, and amendments to the Shree Jagannath Temple Act are being explored to further strengthen regulatory provisions. The committee also discussed ISKCON’s agreement to observe Snana Yatra on a single day across India and abroad.

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On development fronts, progress was reviewed for the proposed Shree Jagannath Adarsha Gurukul. Encroachments at the project site have been cleared and Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation (OBCC) has been instructed to begin boundary construction.

Welfare measures for servitors were approved, including raising the monthly pension from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000, increasing marriage assistance for daughters of servitors from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh, and enhancing thread ceremony assistance from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. These revised benefits will come into effect from January, 2026.

Upgradation of Jagannath Vallabh, Raghunandan Library and Gundicha Temple was reviewed. To ensure smooth darshan access for Puri residents without inconveniencing other devotees, a sub-committee headed by the District Collector will examine all aspects and draft a new SOP, the Chief Administrator of SJTA, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said.