Published: 22nd March 2015
PURI: Daitapatis of the Jagannath temple at Puri met the Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingh Deb on Saturday, appealing him to reconsider the decision to restrict ‘Nabajoubana Darshan’ of the deities on July 17, a day before the Rath Yatra.
They said the decision to prohibit public darshan of the Trinity in their Nabajoubana (youthful avatar) has hurt religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees. The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) took the decision apprehending rush inside the temple.
Secretary of the Daitapati Nijog, Premananda Dasmahapatra said the Gajapati assured them to place the issue again before the SJTA for consideration.
In another development, the SJTA on Saturday finalised the 121-member team for the Banajaga Yatra. Among others, the team would comprise 96 Daitapatis, 16 Shrotriya Brahmins, two purohits of the Jagannath temple, as many Rajgurus and four Biswakarmas. The team would begin the Banajaga Yatra on March 29.
The team members were selected at the SJTA meeting that was presided by the Gajapati Maharaj. Among the 121 members, four sub-committees would be formed. Among others, chief of Daitapati servitors Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra and temple chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra were present.
Union Minister Visits Puri Temple
The Union Tourism Minister, Mahesh Sharma met the Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati at the Goverdhan Mutt in Puri on Saturday.
Sharma, along with Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, was in Odisha to review the Nabakalebara preparations. He also paid obeisance to Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra at the 12th century Jagannath temple later in the day.
Addressing mediapersons outside the temple, Sharma said Raghurajpur would be transformed into a model village and the Ministry will extend all assistance for the purpose. “An amount of `10 crore has already been provided to the State Government for development of the craft village and more funds would be sanctioned soon,” he said, adding that the rare art of Pattachitra would be globally publicised by the Ministry.
On the conservation work being undertaken at the Jagannath temple by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Sharma said the ASI is doing a good job.
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