JAGATSINGHPUR: The coronavirus lockdown has rendered hundreds of priests and sevayats of the district jobless The priests, who used to sustain their families from the donations made by devotees, have been left in the lurch after people stopped visiting temples due to the restrictions. Sources said rituals in hundreds of temples across the district have been curtailed due to the lockdown. Sarala temple at Kanakpur, Gorakhnath temple, Kunja Behari at Garh Kujang, Ram Mandir at Mahilo, Kanakdurga temple at Peteipur, Salajanga Ashram in Naugaon, Sarabanta Jagannath Temple at Erasama, Tulasi Gadi, Iskcon temple at Balikuda, Jagannath temple at Ambasal and Sidha Baranga Pitha at Barang are some of the shrines which have been closed since the last 12 days.
Trilochan Roul, the priest of Sarala temple, said, “We are yet to receive any help from the temple administration. No devotees are visiting the temple which has been closed since the last 12 days. Without any money, our family members are living in miserable condition.Many families are not in a condition to purchase an LPG cylinder or firewood for cooking. No relief or cooked food has been provided to the priests, said Trilochan.
Similar is the plight of malis (gardeners) who supply flowers to the temples. A gardener Sulochana Dei (55) of Kankadurga temple said the sale of flowers has been hit as devotees are not coming to temples. “I used to earn `400 to `600 by selling flowers every day and sustain my family of six. All my savings have been exhausted and since the last three days, my family members are starving without any food,” she said.
Sulochana’s husband passed away a few years back.Admitting that no assistance has been given to the priests and sevayats, executive of Sarala and Gorakhnath temple administration Sauraya Ranjan Parija said, “On being informed about their plight, I have sent a representation to the district Collector.”