Puri: Dress code for servitors and other staff in Shri Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri is yet to become a reality even one year after the shrine administration decided to introduce traditional attire for them.
Delay in implementation of dress code in the 12th century shrine has triggered resentment among devotees as well as priests amid allegation of exploitation of visitors by non-servitors inside the temple.
In order to ensure discipline in the temple, devotees as well as servitors and prominent citizens have demanded immediate steps by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to implement its decision made last year.
Noted researcher and Convenor of Shree Jagannath Council, Surya Narayan Rath said though SJTA had decided to make dress code mandatory in the temple in a phased manner, it is yet to be implemented. It was supposed to start with servitors who perform daily rituals as well as temple employees including temple police.
Steps should be taken to implement the decision taken last year after consultations with Chhatisha Nijog, confederation of servitor bodies, he said.
“Women devotees are often subjected to harassment inside the temple. It is difficult to identify genuine servitors and temple staff in the absence of any dress code. The administration should take immediate steps to make dress code mandatory,” said noted social worker Bidyutlata Acharya.
Puri district Collector Samarth Verma said necessary steps are being taken in consultation with all the stakeholders to introduce a proper dress code for servitors and others in the temple.
Strongly favouring implementation of dress code norms in the temple, Chhatisha Nijog member Gourahari Pradhan said it is necessary to ensure discipline in the temple and smooth darshan by the devotees. Apart from servitors, devotees too may have to wear traditional dress to enter the temple, he said.
Several servitors were of the view that appointment of a permanent chief administrator would facilitate implementation of dress code apart from bringing reforms in the temple, as desired by the Supreme Court.
