BHUBANESWAR: On the lines of Shree Jagannath temple at Puri, a ban on consumption of ‘gutkha’ and ‘paan’ and use of polythene was brought into effect at the Lingaraj temple on Monday.
According to the decision of the Lingaraj temple administration, neither servitors nor devotees will be allowed to enter the temple if found chewing tobacco and related products or carrying flowers, prasad or puja paraphernalia in polythene bags.
Devotees cannot carry milk in plastic glasses inside the sanctum sanctorum. Consumption of ‘paan’ and ‘gutka’ is also banned on the temple premises.
Close to 60,000 devotees visited the shrine on New Year’s day after the temple gates were opened at 5 am. Rituals were observed without any disruptions.
In another decision, the temple administration has decided that Kotha Bhoga of Lord Lingaraj will be cooked only with ghee produced by the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation (OMFED).
Meanwhile, the temple administration has asked all the Nijogs to submit names of eligible members (servitors) who would be provided with identity cards.
“Several instances have come to the fore when many non-servitors wearing the traditional garments have entered the temple and conducted rituals. Since we cannot identify them immediately, we had requested the temple administration to provide ID cards to the servitors of all nijogs to be used during important days and festivals of Lord Lingaraj. They have agreed,” said secretary of Brahman Nijog Samiti of Lingaraj temple, Biranchi Narayan Pati.
There are four main Nijogs of the 11th-century shrine - Brahmana, Pujapanada, Badu and Samatha - with over 2,000 servitors who are responsible for the daily rituals of the presiding deity.
Besides, there are Barika, Behera, Bhoi, Kaibarta nijogs, among others, who carry out various ‘sevas’ during festivals of Lord Lingaraj.