Ekamra MLA Babu Singh Assures Action Against Servitors Who Halted Rituals at Lingaraj Temple In Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar: Voicing displeasure over stoppage of rituals at Bhubaneswar’s Lingaraj Temple after a dispute among servitors, MLA from Ekamra-Bhubaneswar Babu Singh condemned the incident and warned of strict action against those responsible for the disruption.
As the incident triggered sharp reactions from different quarters, the BJP legislator issued a stern warning to the temple servitors, describing the stoppage of Lord Lingaraj’s rituals as extremely unfortunate and unacceptable.
He made it clear that strict action will be taken against those servitors who were involved in halting the rituals.
“Servitors are appointed to perform rituals, not to decide whether they should be conducted. Halting Lord Lingaraj’s rituals is highly unfortunate and has hurt the
religious sentiments of devotees. Those who stopped the rituals should not be considered eligible to continue temple service. Government will initiate disciplinary action against the servitors who are responsible for this,” Babu Singh said.
Notably, rituals at Lingaraj Temple were disrupted since Tuesday after a dispute among servitors, leaving the Lord without food offerings overnight and thousands of devotees distressed. The stoppage meant that Lord Lingaraj was symbolically left without food offerings overnight, breaking centuries-old tradition. Devotees who had gathered in large numbers to seek blessings for Makar Sankranti were left distressed as pujas and prasad distribution did not take place on the auspicious day.
The halt in rituals from Tuesday has affected observance of Makar Sankranti, a major Hindu festival marking the sun’s transition into Capricorn, when thousands of devotees typically gather for darshan and offerings.
Rituals were halted following a clash between Badu Nijog and Suar Nijog servitor groups over the performance of the Kheera Aauta ritual, a key offering during Makar Sankranti. The disagreement escalated, leading to suspension of all offerings, including the Makar Chaula (a sacred mix of rice, jaggery, banana, coconut, sesame seeds and milk).