As the world-famous Rath Yatra approaches, the repair work of Lord Jagannath and his siblings’ Ratna Palanka (bed) will be completed ahead of the festival and the iconic Singhadwar (The Lion Gate or the East gate) will receive a silver coating, the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTA) announced on Saturday.
Chief Administrator of SJTA, Ranjan Kumar Das stated, “We discussed mainly two important matters. The Ratna Palanka of the holy trinity will be repaired, and the Singhadwar of Shree Jagannath temple will be coated with silver. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure the completion of these projects."
Das said they will seek permission and correspond with the state government regarding the matter. “We will seek the necessary permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the silver coating of the Singhadwar. Similarly, we will write to the state government to procure the required ivory for the repair of the Ratna Palanka," he said.
Since there will be no devotees allowed inside the temple during Rath Yatra, the work is scheduled to commence on June 21.
According to the plans decided by the temple authorities earlier in the day, entry restrictions will be imposed for devotees and CCTV cameras will be installed in the area as part of the arrangement. Skilled artisans from Maharashtra will arrive in Puri on June 10 to initiate the silver coating work.
In addition, the existing Ratna Palanka of Lord Jagannath will undergo repair, and a new set of Ratna Palanka will be crafted using silver, teak and ivory for the deities. The temple administration will correspond with the state government to acquire the necessary ivory. If granted, artisans from Mysore will create the Ratna Palanka using teak wood. The lower sections of the palanka will be adorned with a silver coating, while the upper portions will showcase intricately carved ivory designs.
“We have highlighted the importance of repairing the Ratnapala of the holy trinity. It has been decided that the repair work will be carried out during the Rath Yatra. The SJTA will communicate with the state government to obtain the necessary ivory, which will be used for the Ratna Palanka," said Durga Dasmohapatra, a member of the Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee.