
BHUBANESWAR: For close to 24 hours since Monday night, Lord Lingaraj has been seated on the Makara Mandap outside the sanctum sanctorum of Lingaraj temple following a scuffle between two groups of servitors over Makar Sankranti rituals. Owing to disruption of all rituals in the temple, the deity has also not been offered ‘bhoga’ since.
Special rituals of Lord Lingaraj are observed for two days during Makar Sankranti. On the eve of the Sankranti, the ‘Shree Mukha’ of Lord Lingaraj is brought outside the sanctum sanctorum and seated atop the Makara Mandap near Bhubaneswari temple within the premises.
On the day of Makar Sankranti, ‘Makara Ghee’ or ‘Ghruta Kamala’ made of milk collected from specific ‘Samantra’ households of Badu Sahi is applied on the ‘Shree Mukha’ in a ritual called ‘Ghruta Kamala Lagi’.
It is believed that the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ is applied to relieve the presiding deity of winter dryness.
Sources said the milk is boiled and churned for preparation of ghee by Badu Nijog and the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ is offered by both Badu and Mahasuara Nijog servitors. The problem started on Monday evening after Badu Nijog members insisted that only they should be performing the ritual. This led to protests by Mahasuara servitors.
As a result, though Lord Lingaraj’s ‘Shree Mukha’ was taken to the Makara Mandap following the ‘Pushyabhiseka Sandhya Dhupa’ ritual, the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ could not be offered and all the subsequent rituals were stalled. With protests continuing, the ‘Shree Mukha’ remained seated on the Makara Mandap throughout Monday night and the deity had not been taken inside the sanctum sanctorum till filing of this report.
While the temple management urged the servitors’ clans to resume the rituals, the latter did not budge from their stand. On Tuesday, while ‘abakas’ and ‘sahana mela’ darshan of the deity was allowed, no rituals were performed.
“We have been doing this ritual every year and even the temple administration is aware of it. In fact, the ghee after application to the Lord, is distributed among Badu Nijog families. If Mahasuara Nijog (who handle the sacred kitchen) members claim ownership over the ritual just because the ghee is cooked, that cannot be allowed,” said a Badu Nijog servitor.
On the other hand, Biranchi Narayan Pati, secretary of Brahmana Nijog said there is one round of the ‘Ghruta Kamala Lagi’ ritual that is first performed by the Mahasuara servitors and then the Badu servitors take over. “We are not aware why they protested this time,” he added.
Officials of Lingaraj temple administration said they have asked the two groups of servitors to resume the rituals but to no avail.