Puri: Devotees and sadhus from far-off places are most likely to face problems to stay in the Holy City here during Rath Yatra.
Most of the mutts and dharamshalas that host poor devotees and sadhus from across the country have been lying in disrepair since the city was hit by cyclonic storm Fani, May 3.
The state government and the district administration are yet to provide assistance to the mutt authorities to repair their damaged structures, sources said.
The authorities of various mutts, under the banner of Utkal Matha Mandiradhisha Seva Sangha, have submitted a memorandum to Law Minister Pratap Jena seeking his urgent intervention into the issue.
According to the pontiffs of various mutts, large number of devotees and sadhus from all over India usually gather in the Pilgrim City to witness the car festival of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. Many poor devotees and saintly-men often stay in mutts and dharamshalas during the mega event.
The mutt authorities used to arrange for food and lodging for the devotees and sadhus. “Many devotees do not have money to stay in hotels. We happily host them from Srigundicha Yatra to Niladri Bije ritual. This apart, sadhus from religious places like Dwaraka, Haridwar and Vrindaban do not take have food from hotels. So, we provide them food and boarding facility,” said Nebal Das mutt pontiff Ram Charan Das.
According to Das, the cyclonic storm had caused severe damage to at least 40 mutts in the coastal city. “The storm has damaged rooms and other structures of most of the mutts. We do not have resources to repair the damaged buildings. We are afraid that many poor devotees and sadhus may face difficulties in staying in the city during Rath Yatra,” Das said.
Das claimed that several pontiffs from the city had raised the issue with Puri collector but to no avail.
“The district administration has not launched a survey to assess the damages at mutts and dharamshalas. Mutts are an integral part of Jagannath culture. The state government should take immediate steps to provide assistance to mutts,” Das said.
