Puri: A social media post declaring a website selling ‘Mahaprasad’ of Shree Jagannath Temple online has rubbed the servitors and Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee the wrong way.
Referring to the post, Suara and Mahasuara servitors and the members of the Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee opined that the ‘Mahaprasad’ will lose its ‘holiness’ if ever sold online.
According to information available, an advertisement has been posted on social media declaring that “people can place online order for ‘Abadha’(Anna, Kanika, Mitha Dali, Besara and Mahura) of the Shree Jagannath Temple. The ‘Mahaprasad’ will be delivered at the doorstep.
For this one has to pay Rs 499 for ‘Abadha’ for two persons. This apart, ‘Khaja’ can be had paying Rs 199 per kilogram. This facility is available for the time being in Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar. Orders for ‘Chhhapanbhog’ can be placed Thursday only. A website in the name of www.soquick.in has been launched and orders can be placed over phone as well.”
The address the post carries is S.J. Innovative Private Limited, Lingipur, Bhubaneswar.
According to Shree Jagannath Temple Management Committee member Ananta Tiadi, the right of providing ‘Mahaprasad’ or other ‘bhogs’ of the temple rests with only Suara and Mahasuara Nijaga.
“The online selling of ‘Mahaprasad’ by any outsider will strongly be objected. In case of online selling by outsiders, there is high chance of them not being that much careful to keep the holiness of the ‘Mahaprasad’,” he said.
“This is not the first time that an organisation has come out with the option of selling ‘Mahaprasad’ online.
Earlier an instance of ‘Mahaprasad’ being sold online by an organization www.puribhog.com came to our notice. However, the organisation stopped online selling after the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration took a decision to take action against the organization. The issue will be raised in the upcoming management committee meeting and stringent action will be taken against the present organisation.
On the other hand, Jyoti Das, an official of the present organisation that is offering online service for having ‘Mahaprasad’, said, “During this pandemic time, common people are not able to have their favourite ‘Abhada’. We have launched this with an intention to offer service.
We don’t have any other intention. Can it be profitable for someone to deliver a kilogram of ‘Khaja’ and ‘Mahaprasad’ for two persons for Rs 199 and Rs 499 in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar? We are offering this service only charging for courier and packing cost. Our intention is not to earn profit but to provide service. We will withdraw the service the very day when people object it.”
Notably, when www.puribhog.com had announced that ‘Mahaprasad’ can be had online and when it came to the notice of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the police were asked to trace out the organisation. And at the same time, SJTA had clarified it that no one has been permitted to sell ‘Mahaprasad’ online.
PNN