Bhubaneswar, March 14: At a time when self proclaimed godman Baba Sarathi @ Santosh Kumar Roul has been debarred the Barimula Ashram in Odisha’s Kendrapara district by the Orissa High Court recently, worship of the vagabond in Bhubaneswar and Koraput on the Dola Yatra occasion has sparked another row on Friday.
People of different sects, have condemned the efforts of some Sarathi followers who still recall and pray the tarnished godman Sarathi Baba despite his days behind the bars, committing immoral acts in the Barimula Ashram in the past.
Especially, worshipping Baba Sarathi’s huge photographs along with a mere idol of Lord Jagannath at Jeypore in Koraput, has provoked massive reactions among the devotees of Lord Jagannath.
According to reports, hundreds of followers of self-styled godman ‘Sarathi Baba’ (Santosh Kumar Roul) worshipped the Baba’s huge photograph in a special temple named ‘Baba Sarathi Satsang Temple’ established at the Phampuni village near the Jeypore town today. Here, the Sarathi loyals including men and women were seen gathered for a satsang, who offered flowers and hymns to Sarathi Baba on the holy occasion of Dola Purnima.
People across the state raised voice over the incident citing it a gross disrespect to the Lord Jagannath after the scene was aired in TV News Channels.
A similar satsang program, dedicated for Baba Sarathi held at the Kargil Slum in Odisha’s Capital City today, also sparked controversy, as some men and women worshipped the malreputed person Santosh Kumar Roul, on the Falguna Purnima, a day dedicated for Lord Krisha and goddess Radha in Hinduism.
Acting on it, a social activist filed a complaint against Baba Sarathi with the Chandrasekharpur Police, seeking legal action.
Worth mentioning, Baba Sarathi, founder of the Barimula Ashram was arrested in August 2015, by the Odisha Crime Branch on the charges of harassing a woman and her daughter in the holy premises. He could see the daylight later, in July 2019 after the Orissa High Court granted him bail. However, the High Court had ruled that Sarathi can’t visit the Barimula Ashram or even Kendrapara till further order.
