PURI: A delegation of the Shree Jagannath Temple managing committee will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the untimely conduct of Rath Yatra across the country.
Informing this to the media on Friday, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Arabinda Padhee said the Srimandir delegation will visit New Delhi for the meetings after the Rath Yatra at Puri on July 16
At the temple managing committee meeting held on the day, it was also decided that a resolution will be sent to the state government for taking steps to prevent untimely observance of Rath Yatra as it defies the tenets of Jagannath rituals, said Padhee.
Chairman of the committee, Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb expressed concern over reluctance of ISKCON to adhere to the rituals of the Srimandir almanac in organising Rath Yatra outside India. After strong protests, ISKCON has stopped organising untimely Rath Yatra in the country.
Earlier, the Puri Gajapati had also written to President Murmu and PM Modi separately to flag the violations by ISKCON and sought their intervention.
On the day, the temple managing committee approved the schedule of rituals of the deities prepared by the sub-committee and Chhatisha Nijog, beginning from Snana Purnima, Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra and Suna Besha till Niladri Bije.
The meeting also decided to bring changes in the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the government so that the massive ornaments of the Trinity could be brought to ‘Khata Seja Ghar’ (where beds and mattresses of the deities are stored) as the space inside Bhitar Ratna Bhandar is inadequate to conduct the inventory of these items.
In this facility, all the mandatory works mentioned in the SOP, like videography, 3D camera recording and digital mapping, will be conducted, and the ornaments stored in the brass chest of the Bhitar Ratna Bhandar, informed Padhee. The empty almirahs will be brought out of the Ratna Bhandar after the ornaments and the jewellery, both silver and gold, have been stored in the designated chest.
The meeting also discussed plans to suspend Ratna Bhandar inventory exercise till completion of the Rath Yatra, change one of the locks on Bahar Ratna Bhandar door, look for an alternative land for constructing houses for homeless servitors and appointment of contractors to build the Gurukul education complex.
Former CAG and member of the managing committee Girish Chandra Murmu, Puri collector Dibyajyoti Parida, SP Prateek Singh and servitors participated in the meeting.