Suspension Of Lord Lingaraj’s Rituals: Endowment Dept Convenes Meeting With Servitor Groups

Bhubaneswar: With the presiding deity of Lingaraj Temple going hungry for second consecutive day, the Endowment Department convened a meeting at 11.30 am on Thursday to discuss the issue with servitor groups of the 11th-century shrine in Odisha capital.

The singhdwara of the shrine was opened on Wednesday morning but the ‘Magala Alati could not be performed as Brahman Nijog and Puja Panda Nijog servitors remained absent, protesting against alleged encroachment of a piece of land belonging to Lord Lingaraj near Gangua bridge by Badu Nijog members. ‘Bhoga Lagi’ was also not performed on the day.

According to sources, Brahman Nijog and Puja Panda Nijog halted the rituals demanding their share of Lingaraj land. While the HC had ordered them to return the disputed lands to Lord Lingaraj, a market complex having 18 shops being constructed over 2 acres by Badu Nijog was allowed, which became a bone of contention between the servitor groups.

In 2019, the Endowments Commission had stayed the construction owing to a complaint filed by the two Nijogs on the issue. The Badu nijog had moved the Orissa High Court, which, a week back, allowed the group to resume work on the market complex on the ground that the servitors had no other source of income and also on condition that they prove ownership of the land.

The entire incidents has enraged the devotees.