Resolve Jagannath Temple Impasse At Highest Level: Gajapati Maharaja To Govt

Puri: Expressing grave concern over the impasse at Jagannath Temple in Puri, following the cease work by the sevayats who have closed the doors of the main temple in protest against police assault on a fellow sevayat on Thursday, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb on Friday asked the Odisha government to resolve the standoff at the highest level.

“No issue is more important than the service of the Lords. Any issue or dispute can be resolved through discussion. Under no circumstances, the Lords should remain without worship. I request all sevayats and the temple administration to begin the rituals of the Lords without further delay to maintain the rich tradition of the temple and ensure that not a single devotee is deprived of the darshan of the Lords. If necessary, the state government should intervene at the highest level to resolve the deadlock,” the Gajapati Maharaja told the media here.

Briefing the media later in the day in Bhubaneswar, Law Minister Pratap Jena said that the state government is closely monitoring the situation. “The chief administrator of SJTA, the district collector and Jagannath Temple Managing Committee are in talks with the sevayats. I hope that the matter will be resolved very soon,” he said.