Bhubaneswar, January 15: Odisha’s Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan expressed concern over the disruption of rituals at the Lingaraj Temple due to an ongoing dispute among the servitors.
He also warned that the government would take strict measures if such incidents reoccur. He also said that halting the temple’s rituals was completely unacceptable.
The dispute arose on Monday evening when the Mahasura and Badu servitors clashed over who should conduct the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ ritual during Makar Sankranti. As a result, the deity was taken to the Makara Mandap outside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum and has remained there since. This disruption caused the presiding deity to remain without offerings for a second consecutive day.
Minister Harichandan said that a meeting was held by the Trust Board to address the issue, urging the servitors to resume the rituals. He added that the Trust Board would take firm action to prevent further disruptions in the future. To ensure a fair resolution, the government will form a single-member commission, led by a retired High Court judge, to investigate the matter and submit a report within two months.
Harichandan urged that there be no further interruptions to the rituals until the reorganization of the Record of Rights is completed. He assured that the situation would be resolved soon.
