Post News Network
Puri, June 19: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has temporarily revoked the suspension of two Daita servitors who were blamed for the delay in the Ghata Paribartan ritual of the deities during last year’s Nabakalebara festival.
The temple administration also revoked the suspension of a Pratihari servitor who was accused of facilitating a woman devotee’s entry to the Nandighosh chariot during the Rath Yatra. The SJTA has made it clear that Daita servitors Kashinath Das Mahapatra and his son Jaykrushna Das Mahapatra and Pratihari servitor Artatrana Pratihari will have to abide by the final verdict on the two cases after the completion of investigations, sources said.
The Ghata Paribartan ritual of the deities was originally scheduled to be performed June 15, 2015, midnight. However, the secret ritual of the Nabakalebar festival was actually conducted June 16 afternoon.
The delay in the Ghata Paribartan ritual had drawn criticism from several quarters. The state government had directed the SJTA to probe the ritual delay. SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra had suspended Kashinath and Jaykrushna from temple seva in connection with the Ghata Paribartan ritual delay.
Daita Niyog, the apex body of Daita servitors, has recently written a letter to the SJTA urging it to revoke the suspension of Kashinath and Jaykrushna.
The temple administration had suspended Pratihari from Srimandir service after allegations were levelled against him in connection with a woman’s entry into the Nandighosh chariot while it was parked in front of the Srigundicha temple.
