Puri, July 22 (Bureau) Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Friday decided to constitute a sub committee to consider several proposals including the opening of all the four gates of the temple for the devotees. All the gates of Sri Jagannath temple except Simhadwar were closed for devotees since the days of covid pandemic and lock down. There has been a hue and cry from various sections of the people to open all the four gates of the temple for the devotees The devotees who were hopeful that the Chhatisha nijog meeting, which met today, will favour opening all gates for the public. However,the meeting technically evaded the issue on the pretext of considering all other proposals from various sections of the society including servitors.
The temple Administration to buy time constituted a sub committee to consider all aspects before opening of all temple gates. SJTA Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das told media persons after the meeting that a sub committee comprising Sub collector, senior servitors, temple administrators and police officers has been formed to look into the matter. A decision would be taken only after the Sub committee submitted its suggestions, he added. The meeting solved the ongoing row between the Duty Mahapatra servitors and temple administration over fixing the day for Banak Laagi ritual.
The Dutta Mahapatra servitors do the facial make up of the deities once a week. They are pleading to do the job on Thursday while the temple administration insists on Wednesday. For this reason Banak laagi ritual could not be performed last week. The meeting directed the Odisha Bridge Construction Corporation (OBCC) ,the nodal agency responsible for execution of Srimandir Parikrama project, to complete the work at the earliest , Das said. Meanwhile , the demand to open all gates for devotees has been gaining momentum. A delegation of the local bar association led by secretary Bibhuti Mishra met the collector Samarth Verma and conveyed the bar resolution demanding to open temple gates for locals.
Temple Managing Committee member Sudsrshsn Pattnaik in a letter to Gajapati has urged to open at least one gate for local people. Earlier local BJP mla Jayant Kumar Sarangi had asked the administration to open all temple gates for devotees within a week or else BJP will stage agitation. This apart Sachetan Nagarik Munch, Jagannath Sena, Sri Jagannath Bhakt parishad and many senior residents and servitors had demanded to open all the temple gates for devotees stating that the devotees are facing difficulty in entering the temple through only one gate. The devotees, they said, have to stand for hours in queue under harsh weather to enter into the temple through only one gate, Simhadwar.