Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has landed in a fix, as palm-leaf boxes containing unsold ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’ were found dumped Thursday near the south gate (Dakshina Dwar) of Shrimandir.
Suara and Mahasuara servitors usually sell ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’ – the most sought after temple delicacy at Ananda Bazaar on the premises of this 12th century shrine. However, the shrine has remained out of bounds for devotees since March 20, owing to coronavirus-induced lockdown in place to break spread of the viral infection.
Also read: Puri, Lingaraj get Rs 845 cr allocation for modernisation
Subsequently, owing to a sudden slump in the demand, the ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’ was getting soiled, so some of the servitors disposed of it by throwing it out in the open. However, the move has not gone down well with many devotees.
With dogs and bovines feeding on the ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’ the sentiments of many devotees have been hurt. They have alleged that the SJTA does not have any control over servitors which has led to the waste of ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’.
“Why were large quantities of Sukhili Mahaprasad prepared at a time when devotees have been barred entry into the temple? It could have been distributed amongst the needy, otherwise. Disrespect to ‘Sukhili Mahaprasad’ is akin to disrespecting the Lords. “The temple administration should investigate about this issue and punish the alleged culprits,” Shree Jagannath Bhakta Parishad chief, Suryanarayan Rath said.
In a similar vein, researcher of Jagannath Culture, Surendra Kumar Mishra said, “As per customs, Mahaprasad should always be buried at Koilibaikuntha, if it gets soiled. This time too the same could have been done with permission from the temple administration.”
On being contacted, Shrimandir administrator (Rituals) Jitendra Kumar Sahu said, “We will definitely look into the issue. In case of spoilage, it could have been buried at Koilibaikuntha, instead. Dumping it in the open is really sad and disrespectful. Actions will be taken against those found guilty.”
PNN
