Puri: The state government has initiated the process to implement the recommendations of Justice Bimal Prasad Das Commission, constituted to suggest reforms for Srimandir.
Accepting a suggestion by the judicial panel, the Law department has asked the district administration and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to impose restrictions on the entry of devotees and VVIPs to the sanctum sanctorum.
“The state government has accepted some important suggestions of the Justice BP Das Commission. The Law department has asked district collector and the SJTA to ban devotees’ entry to the sanctum sanctorum (Garvagruha). However, the temple administration is likely to face stiff resistance from a few servitors’ groups on the issue,” said a source associated with the SJTA.
Justice Das panel, in its first interim report April 20, had suggested to the state government to impose restrictions on the visit of VIPs to the Garvagruha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.
“Darshan of the deities in the temple by the devotees, including the VIPs, shall be restricted only up to Bhittar Katha. None, except servitors having actual seba in the Garvagruha on any particular day, should be allowed into the sanctum sanctorum,” said the judicial panel in its report.
The commission had also advised the state government to prevent devotees from entering the sanctum sanctorum during Paramanik Darshan and Sahana Mela Darshan. It had also asked the government to impose penalties on the violators.
The temple administration had banned devotees’ entry to the sanctum sanctorum in March, 2012. However, the order was revoked within four months in the wake of protests from the servitors.
The SJTA has once again put restrictions on devotees’ entry to the sanctum sanctorum from January 27 last year to facilitate Jagamohan repair.
“The temple administration is providing compensation to servitors for ban on devotees’ entry to the Garvagruha. However, the ban order has led to timely performance of rituals at the temple,” added the source.
PNN
