Odisha: Tiff Among Servitors, Lord Lingaraj’s Rituals Disrupted Yet Again

Bhubaneswar: Due to a tiff between Pujapanda and Badu Nijog, the Lord of Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar has not been served Mahaprasad since Saturday evening, sources said on Sunday.

Although darshan was granted to devotees, the rites and rituals have not been performed since last night, including the Mangala Alati on Sunday morning.

Devotees expressed strong resentment because the Pujapanda Nijog and Badu Nijog are still at odds about “Paita Lagi Niti,” which resulted in the Lord going without food since yesterday.

The ‘Paita Lagi Niti’ has been put on hold since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. The dispute is currently in the Court with the judgment yet to come. On the other hand, a few devotees and others staged a protest demanding the resumption of all the rituals.

“All we ask is that the problem be resolved as quickly as possible. It is not the first time; this has been going on since 2015. Despite High Court orders, the rituals are still not being observed. This has led to discord among the servants,” a protestor said.

The demonstrators claimed that despite their frequent concerns, nothing is being done in this matter. The Temple administration could not be reached for comment at the time this report was filed.