Puri: Ramakrushna Das Mahapatra, senior servitor of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and secretary of Daitapati Nijog, was on Sunday suspended from his duties at the shrine for a month over the ongoing controversy pertaining to the new shrine at Digha in West Bengal.
As per sources, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) placed Ramakrushna under suspension for violation of temple rules after issuing him two separate show-cause notices over the Digha Jagannath temple row.
He has reportedly been suspended for 30 days from his service to Lord Jagannath and his siblings after the completion of the deadline given to reply the notice.
Chief Administrator of SJTA Arabinda Padhee said that Ramakrushna has also been barred from entering the 12th century shrine during the period of suspension.
“There were allegations of misconduct and indiscipline against the servitor. While I personally inquired and submitted a report to the government, we have suspended the Sevayat for a month,” the SJTA chief said.
It may be noted that SJTA had served a notice on Das Mahapatra over his alleged contradictory statements on the Digha temple.
He was accused of creating confusion among countless devotees and followers of Lord Jagannath and tarnishing the dignity of Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The Daitapati servitor had been given 7 days from the receipt of the notice to submit his explanation. If a satisfactory explanation is not received within this period, strict disciplinary action will be taken as per the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. “Being a senior servitor and secretary of the Daita Nijog, he should not have indulged in these activities. This has shocked devotees,” the SJTA notice stated.
Apart from Ramakrushna, the SJTA chief had also summoned the president of Daitapati Nijog Ganeswar Dasmahapatra and questioned him on the controversy.
Soon after the inauguration of the temple at Digha, Ramakrushna told a TV channel in West Bengal about using surplus Daru (neem wood) of 2015 Nabakalebara for carving the deities of the Digha temple. However, he later retracted his statement, saying he had used only neem tree logs to carve out four idols and blamed the electronic media for spreading untruth.
According to sources, the surplus Daru was stored in the temple’s storeroom to meet emergencies and contingencies. President of Chhatisha Nijog Janardan Pattajoshi Mahapatra, however in a letter to SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, pointed out the administration had failed to collect the keys from the Daitas during the last Nabakalebar as per the temple administrative procedure.
