Puri: A makeshift Ratnasinghasan (altar) on which the Srimandir deities were placed during repair works to the Garvagruha (sanctum sanctorum) in 1992, is now lying neglected at the Niladri Vihar Museum on the shrine premises. Even, a portion of the wooden structure has been eaten away by termites.
Religious scholars have expressed displeasure over the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration’s (SJTA) failure in preserving the wooden Ratnasinghasan on which Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were worshipped for at least seven months.
Two massive stones, weighing around four tonnes, rolled down from the sanctum sanctorum roof, August 13, 1992. However, no one was injured in the incident.
The Srimandir Managing Committee, in its October 10, 1992 meeting, had decided to shift the deities from the sanctum sanctorum to the Jagamohan for carrying out repair work at the dilapidated structure.
As per the advice of religious scholars at Muktimandap, the SJTA had constructed a wooden Ratnasinghasan, measuring 17.6 feet in length, two feet in height and 7 feet in width, to place the deities during their stay at the Jagamohan.
The temple administration had collected at least 13,000 cubic feet wood and spent around Rs 2 lakh to construct the makeshift altar. At least 10 skilled carpenters had taken a week to prepare the wooden structure at an inspection bungalow of the Public Works department, said Srimandir sources.
Gajapati king Dibyasingha Deb and Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati had personally inspected the altar construction. “The temple administration had consulted several pundits and religious texts to construct the makeshift Ratnasinghasan. Carpenters had performed several rituals before constructing the wooden altar,” said eminent researcher on Jagannath culture Surendra Kumar Mishra.
The three deities were placed on the temporary Ratnasinghasan November 29, 1992. Lord Jagannath and his siblings were reinstalled at the sanctum sanctorum July 2, 1993 after massive repair work at the 12th century shrine.
Subsequently, the temple administration had stored the makeshift altar at Niladri Vihar Museum. However, it has failed to preserve the same properly.
“The makeshift Ratnasinghasan had turned into a holy object after coming in contact with the three deities. Srimandir authorities should preserve the altar properly and showcase it to the devotees,” Mishra said. PNN
