Odisha to Probe Jagannath Temple Treasury Key Mystery

The Odisha government will investigate why the duplicate keys of the inner chamber of Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar couldn't open the locks. The treasury was reopened after 46 years, but none of the duplicate keys could work. The issue has become politically charged, with demands for transparency.

The Odisha government announced on Monday that it would launch an inquiry into why the duplicate keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, the 12th-century Jagannath temple's treasury in Puri, failed to unlock the doors on July 14.

Reopened on Sunday after 46 years, the Ratna Bhandar was set to undergo an inventory of its valuables and structural repairs. A special committee could not open three locks on the doors of the inner chamber using the duplicate keys held by the Puri district administration, according to Jagannath temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee.

Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan stated that previous BJD government claims about duplicate keys would be scrutinized. He added that the Jagannath temple, managed by the state's law department, must uncover who was responsible for the duplicate key claim. In 2018, a similar attempt to open the treasury failed due to missing keys, which were later reported found.

The issue of the Ratna Bhandar keys became a significant political topic during recent assembly elections, resulting in the BJP's ascendance over the BJD after nearly two decades. BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy has called for the public release of the Justice Raghubir Das Commission's report on the missing keys, while opposition parties demand greater transparency.

(With inputs from agencies.)