The Lord of the Universe – Lord Jagannath – was left high and dry without food and sleep on Monday as the rituals went for a toss amidst total chaos resulting in wastage of tonnes of food (worth Rs 30-40 lakh) and hurting sentiments of lakhs of devotees.
The highly sentimental and sensitive issue rocked Odisha Assembly on Tuesday as Opposition Congress and BJP hauled the government, demanding a discussion on the issue.
Speaker Pradip Amat had to adjourn the House twice before calling an all-party meeting to discuss the matter.
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The rituals at Puri Jagannath temple stand stalled since Monday early morning when the ‘palia servitor’, who performs the morning puja failed to turn up and there was no arrangement for a substitute.
The temple administration and Puri District Collector had to abide by an order of the High Court that none other than the ‘servitors’, who perform rituals inside the Garbha Gruha (Sanctum Sanctorum), be allowed beyond the Bhitara Katha.
This order had irked the ‘servitors’ and on Monday they remained adamant on not performing the early morning rituals in the absence of the ‘servitor’.
In the process, there was a stalemate which continued right through the night.
The ‘maha prasad’ ( a full course meal, cooked for the deities) – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subadhra — was not offered , nor was the ‘pahada’ (closure when the deities go to sleep) performed.
The ‘suar’ and ‘mahasuar’ groups involved in offering the maha prasad and subsequently selling it, staged a protest dharna and demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh.
The food that had been prepared was, as per practice, buried.
Chief administrator of the temple, PK Jena appealed to all section of servitors to cooperate and resolve the issue. The next date in the court is 19 April and each side can place its objections or seek amendments, he said.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said in the Assembly that the resentment over the High Court order among servitors was well known since 10 April. The temple authorities and the government ought to have found a way out instead of waiting for the crisis to take place.