India, Sept. 1 -- The counting and verification of Lord Jagannath's precious jewellery and ornaments kept in the Ratna Bhandar of Srimandir will remain suspended throughout September in view of the upcoming temple rituals and other daily affairs, Srimandir Chief Administrator Aravind Padhee said.

Padhee said a decision on the next phase of the inventory exercise would be taken after discussions with the Srimandir Commander.

Meanwhile, the counting exercise entered its 17th day on Tuesday, with officials recording 8 hours and 23 minutes of work, the longest duration completed in a single day so far. The team entered the Ratna Bhandar at 11:15 am and continued the exercise until 7:38 pm.

On the 17th day, officials counted the jewellery ...