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Puri, June 25: Badagrahis of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra Thursday claimed that all rituals right from Banajaga Yatra to Brahma Paribartan ahead of Nabakalebara festival were conducted in a disciplined manner.
Lord Jagannath’s Badagrahi Jagannath Swain Mahapatra, Lord Balabhadra’s Badagrahi Haladhar Das Mahapatra and Devi Subhadra’s Badagrahi Ramchandra Das Mahapatra urged people to forgive minor lapses in the rituals.
“All controversies related to the Brahma Paribartan rituals are not true. We have shifted the spirits from the old idols to the new with utmost care. No servitor had taken mobile phones into Srimandir during the ritual as was alleged. So, the question of somebody taking photos of the Brahmas does not arise. People should not politicise the religious event,” said Jagannath Swain Mahapatra before news persons here.
He said a few rituals prior to Brahma changeover were not completed on time. “A yagya at Koilibaikuntha concluded at 3.30am of June 16. Servitors took four hours to shift the Brahma and another two hours to bury the old idols,” Jagannath claimed.
Ramachandra refuted reports that 50 Daita servitors were present at the time of the sacred ritual. “I along with Jagannath, Haladhar and Devraj Pati Mahapatra shifted the Brahmas. Subsequently, other Daita servitors visited the Anasara Gruha and had a Darshan of the souls,” he said.
Haladhar also claimed that all rituals of the event were conducted as per temple traditions. “Lord Jagannath is the master of the universe. Everything happens according to His will. During the Rath Yatra in 1974, the Pahandi processions were completed by 9 am, but servitors could not install the idols before 5pm. All efforts in this regard went in vain,” Haladhar said.
Commenting on the suspension of two Daitapatis, Jagannath said, “Daitas have a collective responsibility to serve the deities. We will deliberate on the issue soon.”