Puri, Sep 23: The sacred ornament transfer process at the Jagannath Temple has been successfully completed under the strict guidelines of the Odisha government.

The operation, which followed the recommendations of the temple’s management committee, was carried out with full transparency and security.

The process began at 10:55 am when the outer Ratna Bhandar was unlocked. Ornaments stored in almirahs at the Khatashej and Changda rooms were shifted to the permanent inner Ratna Bhandar. A total of 12 almirahs were relocated during the four-hour-long operation, which concluded at 2:55 pm.

The transfer was conducted in the presence of a magistrate, and the entire procedure was recorded on video as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). After the inner treasury was sealed, two keys were handed over to the district treasury for safekeeping.

Meanwhile, the key to the outer Ratna Bhandar will remain with the Gajapati Maharaja’s representative, the temple administration, and the Bhandar Mekap, in accordance with tradition.

The ornaments were moved with utmost care and cleanliness. The temple administration confirmed that the counting and verification of the ornaments will begin once the state government issues further instructions.

Chief Administrator of the temple, Arabinda Padhee, expressed satisfaction over the smooth execution of the transfer and praised the coordination among all stakeholders. He emphasized that the process was conducted with complete adherence to protocol and reverence.