PURI: Justice BP Das, who is heading the one-member Commission to bring reforms in Puri Jagannath temple, on Wednesday suggested that damaged stones on the temple kitchen floor should be replaced and modern chimney systems installed. He also advised renovation of the age-old drainage system.
During his visit to the temple on the day, Justice Das said water from Ganga and Jamuna wells should only be used for cooking Mahaprasad. As the water level in these two wells are depleting, the kitchen should be cleaned with water from other sources. The Commission also suggested installation of bio toilets for hundreds of cooks and co-workers who spend a lot of time in the temple.
The Commission advised the local administration to ensure that the Mahaparasad, including the ‘Kotha bhog,’ should be prepared from ‘desi ghee’. The administration should ensure good quality of Mahaprasad and maintain cleanliness in Anand Bazaar, Justice Das said.
Collector Arabind Agarwal and Chief Administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) PK Jena and other officials were present.
Devotees touched deities: Police
The security wing of Puri Jagannath Temple has ascertained from CCTV footage that three devotees touched the deities during ‘Pahandi Bije’ of the Rath Yatra.
Two senior Daita servitors Ramchandra Dasmahapatra and Jagannath Swainmahapatra had alleged that the directive of not allowing devotees to touch the deities was violated during the Rath Yatra on Sunday. Though the temple Chief Administrator had denied any such incident, he had assured that the CCTV footage of the festival day will be examined to ascertain the truth.
During examination of the footage, it was found that a devotee had touched Lord Sudarshan near Satapahacha area during Pahandi while two others touched Lord Balabhadra near Pratihari Nijog after crossing two layers of security cordon put in place by the administration.
Efforts are on to identify the devotees. Once they are identified, it is learnt that the temple administration would file a complaint with police to prosecute them as per law.
Gundicha temple rituals begin
The normal rituals of the deities in Gundicha temple began. It took Duttamahapatras, the make-up servitors, over three hours to colour the faces of the deities that were disfigured during Pahandi. After daily rituals like Mangal Arati, Surya Puja, Roshahoma, Mailaum and Abakash, the deities were offered Gopal bhog and decked up in new attire. Later, public darshan was allowed. There was a heavy rush of devotees in the Mahaprasad market in Gundicha temple complex.
This year, special arrangements have been made to facilitate differently-abled persons to have darshan of the deities in the sanctum sanctorum of Gundicha temple. Ramps have been erected along the temple pathways by the administration. Voluntary organisations have provided e-rickshaws for free transport of disabled persons while hundreds of volunteers are engaged to take care of them. Gobind Pattnaik and Yugabrat Kar are looking after the arrangements. Last year, over 500 disabled persons had darshan of the deities.