Brahma Parivartan Fiasco: SJTA Serves Second Reminder To 9 Servitors

Puri: Two months after serving the first notice, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has sent a reminder to nine sevayats, seeking a reply on gross irregularities in Brahma Parivartan rituals of the Lords during Nabakalebara in June 2016.

The SJTA, on behalf of its chief administrator Pradipta Mahapatra, has asked these sevayats to furnish a satisfactory reply on the matter within 15 days, failing which action would be taken against them through an investigation under Section 21 (b) of the Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.

Barring one sevayat, the reply of eight others was not satisfactory, the reminder notice said.

Notably, the Brahma Parivartan rituals of the Lords were performed on June 15, 2016, in presence of the sevayats of Daitapati Nijog. There was an inordinate delay in the rituals  following a dispute over darshan of the Brahma among the sevayats which had triggered widespread resentment across the state and the country with the devotees blaming the SJTA and the state government for the incident.

Taking strong exception to the high-handed attitude of the sevayats, the SJTA had probed the matter.

On the basis of the report submitted by the former SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on August 19, 2017, the SJTA on November 14, 2018, had served notice on eight sevayats and a senior Maharana (architect).

In the notice, the SJTA had mentioned that the Daitapati Nijog secretary Premananda Dasmohapatra had gone against the tradition and secrecy of the Brahma Parivartan rituals and forcibly allowed the darshan of the Brahma to five sevayats—Biswanath Dasmohapatra, Krushna Chandra Dasmohapatra, Nabakishore Dasmohapatra, Jayakrushna Dasmohapatra and Kasinath Dasmohapatra.