Amicus Curiae Favours Hereditary Service In Puri’s Jagannath Temple

Puri: The servitors of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri heaved a sigh of relief as the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae, Gopal Subramanium on Saturday said that the hereditary service in the temple will continue.

Talking to mediapersons here after the meeting of the Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, Chief Administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Pradipta Mohapatra said, that while the amicus curiae is in favour of continuation of hereditary rights of the servitors in the temple, he is convinced that since the number of servitors has gone up substantially over the years, their number should be limited as per the requirement. Those whose service is not sought would be provided with a generous financial package to ensure that their livelihood is protected. The amicus curiae will give his recommendation in this regard in his report to the apex court.

About the second reform proposal on the Annadana Atika, Mohapatra said the amicus curiae was firm in his opinion. “The amicus curiae maintained that there should be a new regulatory system so that the Annadana Atika be kept outside the temple. He also said that the four servitors’ bodies, who are running the Yatri Seva, should continue. But there should be elections for each servitor body, which will have a president and secretary. The accounts of these four servitors’ bodies will be audited to maintain transparency in their income and contribution to the Jagannath Temple. The amicus curiae, however, said that the Yatri Pandas (servitors) can receive money from the pilgrims outside the temple,” he added.

Mohapatra also said that the amicus curiae made it clear that there must not be any thali and pitcher inside the temple and in its place, the Hundi (donation box), which has been kept at an inconspicuous place, should be kept at four prominent places inside the temple so that the devotees can put their donation in them.

Talking about the rate chart system for devotees who will be provided with Abhada (Mahaprasad) in the plate (thali) system, Mohapatra said the different price list for the Abhada displayed on a hoarding inside the temple, was an inadvertent mistake. “It has been decided that the temple’s managing committee, which had approved the price list, will have another meeting with the Suara-Mahasuara Nijog to fix the final price list,” he pointed out.

“We had a wonderful meeting. The managing committee assembled under the chairmanship of the Gajapati Maharaja. I was also a special invitee. The chief administrator and the other nominees of the managing committee were present. It was an extraordinarily, emotionally surcharged meeting. As the Gajapati said, we are all only the ‘nimittas’ of Lord Jagannath. None of us has anything within us, which is even capable. We are not even capable of boasting any ability for ourselves. But Lord Jagannath has brought us together to do the best for the temple and its devotees. I am happy to let all of you know that we are making substantial progress in that direction,” Subramanium said.

The amicus curiae later had a meeting with the Chhatisha Nijog  and asked them to mind their behaviour, attitude, transparency and punctuality. He also directed them not to accept any donation, either cash or in kind from any devotee. He said he will come to the temple after three weeks to review their performance.