BALASORE: The centuries-old Jagannath temple in Mankdia village within Ulamora police station in Balasore district is languishing in neglect reportedly due to funds crunch. While restoration works of the temple has been standstill, daily nitees of the deities have also been hampered.
Built by a trader Gohini Prasad Das in 1312, the temple was repaired by Narayan Prasad Chand, the then home secretary of Odisha in 1396 after cracks developed on interior and exterior walls leading to seepage of rain water.
Neither basic repair and maintenance is being done nor development works like the boundary wall around the temple premises, kitchen, lighting around the temple, bhog mandap and space for devotees in front of the temple have been taken up.
Servitor of the temple Sapan Kumar Mishra (46) said paucity of funds has hampered daily rituals of the deities. Some funds had been allocated by the concerned department during the Nabakalebara. Since then no fund has been allocated for any development work of the temple. In the absence of any facility, the number of devotees to the temple has also dwindled, he informed.
“I am doing my duty for the deities but I do not get any remuneration. But the servitors of temples are entitled to a fixed remuneration for conducting the nitees,” he rued. The local MLA had donated some funds but nothing has been provided by the endowments department even though the officials are aware that the infrastructure is crumbling and repair is of utmost importance, said a local resident Santanu Pal.
Another local and a lecturer Chandan Kumar Sahoo who has provided Rs 2 lakh to the temple said, “The boundary walls, lights, bhog shops, kitchen and mandap which could support generation of revenue for the temple have not been taken up. I will meet the Tourism Minister Aswini Patra and discuss the development works of the temple soon.”
Currently under the Endowments department of Odisha, the endowment inspector of Balasore district Debabrata Biswal said “A trust is necessary for the temple’s development activities. After generation of revenue, the trust will decide to provide remuneration to the Sevayats of the temple.”
IN RUINS
14 acre land provided to sevayats for the temple by Maharaja of Mayurbhanj district
Endowments department paid Rs 50, 000 during Nabakalebara
Around `10 lakh from MLALAD and Rs 11 lakh from panchayat fund given for Nata Mandap