JAGATSINGHPUR: Rituals at the 16th-century Sarala temple at Kanakpur, which were stopped following a dispute between groups of two head priests, resumed with the intervention of the district administration on Saturday. A meeting to restore normalcy at the shrine was convened by the district administration in which the head priests, officials of the Endowment Commission and police participated. During the discussion, it was found that the Endowment Commission in May had issued an order to protect the tradition, customs and rituals of the deity.
Ranjan Panda and Kaibalaya Panda along with the other group, Pragyandipta Panda and Janmajaya Panda, were declared as head priests (Badapandas) of the deity. They were given equal rights to perform all special rituals of the deity because both the groups are considered as two branches of a common ancestor-Sadashiba Badapanda.
Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said the directive of the Endowment Commission must be followed and directed the head priests to perform their rituals on a rotation basis. He said stern action will be taken against those who prevent the rituals from being performed on a rotation basis.