Puri: The Satyabadi Gopinath Deb temple at Sakhigopal is in a state of disrepair and may collapse at any moment, claimed Endowment Commissioner Biraja Prasad Datta in a recent report to the state government.
Datta, in his report, also highlighted the issue of severe mismanagement at the shrine. The report also claimed that the temple owns altogether 3,333 acres of land but its trust board has records for 631.71 acres only.
According to sources, Datta had interacted with many servitors during his visit to the shrine January 5. The report claimed that several cracks have been detected at the Lions’ Gate of Gopinath Deb temple. Similarly, some other structures of the temple, including its kitchen, storehouse and the Jhulan Mandap, are in decay.
“Regular seepages of rainwater have weakened the main structure of the temple. A stone, weighing around 50kg, had come off the structure October 19, last year. Besides, several cracks have been found on the roof of a subsidiary temple,” said the report. Datta has stressed the need for renovation of the shrine at the earliest.
It is learnt that the Endowment Commissioner has expressed concern over mismanagement of donations given to the temple. The commissioner has asked authorities concerned to install a permanent donation box (hundi) at the shrine and inspect its treasury.
“The temple kitchen looks unhygienic. A servitor has illegally acquired an altar at Gopinath Deb temple. The shrine management is yet to arrange drinking water for the devotees,” Datta mentioned in his report.This apart, the Endowment Commissioner raised questions about the existing set-up to sell prasad to the devotees.
PNN
