PURI: With over 450 servitors already tested positive till date, the Sri Jagannath Temple and Puri district administration are in a tight spot as rising infection among the priests could pose a problem for conduct of day to day religious duties and rituals in the famous shrine.
The temple, one of the four dhams for the Hindus, is still closed for devotees as the Odisha Government is not in favour of opening religious places of worship. But, temple rituals are being conducted as per tradition.
At least six servitors, including some senior ones, have succumbed to the virus while a surge in August and September has gripped the coastal district. Sensing that an unchecked situation could be a challenge, a virtual meeting of the temple administration and district officials was held on Monday. The meeting discussed how to effectively treat infected servitors and prevent spread of the virus.
It has been decided to open two Covid treatment facilities - one at Puri and another at Bhubaneswar - with all essential equipment besides stationing an ambulance fitted with ICU and ventilator at Puri town.
A list of alternative servitors would be prepared in consultation with temple Record of Rights (RoR) and senior serving servitors. The temple RoR book mentions alternative servitors for most of religious services when original servitor is unable, for various reasons, to render his services. It was also decided that no servitor or staff would be allowed chewing of betel inside the temple and spitting on complex would be completely banned.
The annual Rath Yatra, held in June following the Supreme Court permission as a crowd-less affair, looks a distant past. Before the festival, two rounds of Covid-19 tests of all participating servitors, police and staff involved was conducted while one was held soon after conclusion of the Rath Yatra. Only three servitors were detected positive and they were asymptomatic. After treatment they were cured. Servitors were also given immunity boosting homeopathic drugs a number of times.
Things have changed dramatically since. Currently, the total number of positive cases in Puri stands at 9,882, fourth after Khurda, Cuttack and Ganjam. On August 1, the confirmed case tally was 803 with 403 already recovered. The tally of servitors who tested positive, so far, is 451.
Many were treated in various Covid Hospitals, while quite a few preferred to stay home and get treatment from private doctors. About 70 temple employees were found positive.
Despite special attention of the district administration and door-to-door survey by health teams to ascertain their family health status within three months, a large number of servitors got infected.
Many servitors are reluctant to perform their religious duties in the temple putting the temple administration in a tight spot.
Before the Rath Yatra, the administration had opened an isolation facility for servitors in a posh hotel and at present, all its 30 rooms are full. This apart, recently Nilachal Bhakta Nivas (a hotel run by temple) was converted into isolation home exclusively for servitors. It also is full.
Servitors complain that these facilities lack competent doctors and other emergency equipment like ICU and ventilators.Collector Balwant Singh, Administrator (Rituals) AK Jena, Administrator (Development) PK Sahu and Chief District Medical Officer Dr Sujata Mishra also participated in the meeting.