Delay In Rituals At Puri Jagannath Temple; Devotees Return Without Mahaprasad

Puri: Several rituals of the sibling deities at the Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri were delayed following a dispute between two groups of servitors.

According to sources, a large number of devotees had to return without ‘Mahaprasad’ delay in Bhoga Mandap and other rituals on Sunday night.

The last ritual of Badasinghar Besha’ in the Sanctum Sanctorum of the 12th century shrine could not be conducted following a rift among the servitors of Suar and Mahasuar Nijog following the Bada Snana ritual of the Lords.

“The Lord was put to Bada Mahasnana after the second Bhoga Mandap was prepared,” a senior sevayat of the temple said. However, the Mahaprasad remained at the Bhoga Mandap from 4:35 pm till 11 pm last night.

Following the delay, the devotees who had ordered Bhoga returned home with whatever they could find. The remaining Bhoga was locked at the Bhoga Mandap for the night. They informed the Temple Administration, but no one from there came and tried to resolve the issues,” he added.

Unfortunately, deities and devotees suffered due to a lack of coordination among Sevayats. There is no action by SJTA officials against the Servitors responsible for the delay in the Lord’s ritual, he further claimed.

However, all the rituals in Srimandir, including ‘Rosa Homa,’ resumed, said sources.