Puri: Thirty packets of unauthorised ghee were seized inside the premises of Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri town on Wednesday.
According to sources, security personnel intercepted the consignment as it was being taken into Rosaghara, the kitchen area where Mahaprasad is prepared daily. The packets were not from the approved OMFED brand, which is used to maintain the purity and sanctity of the offerings. Instead, the seized ghee was identified as low-quality vanaspati ghee.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration is conducting an inquiry to identify the Suara servitor(s) responsible for attempting to bring the banned ghee into Rosaghara, determine the intended use, and ascertain how it bypassed security checkpoints.It has warned of strict action against those responsible for this aberration.
Temple regulations strictly prohibit any brand other than OMFED ghee for cooking Mahaprasad and related items like Khaja along with lighting diyas on the premises. A dedicated depot was established to ensure a consistent supply of the ghee, safeguarding the faith of devotees worldwide. The entry of unauthorised substances is viewed as a serious violation that could compromise the spiritual integrity of the rituals.
Notably, the temple has a dedicated enforcement squad, strengthened over the past year to monitor food quality in the Ananda Bazar and prevent adulteration.
This is not the first time ghee quality has come under scrutiny at the temple. Notices were issued to Suar servitors in January following seizure of unauthorised ghee inside the 12th century shrine.
