PURI: Gajapati Dibyasingh Dev, the foremost servitor of Lord
Jagannath and Chairperson of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and
Administrator (temple rituals) of SJTA PK Dash on Tuesday invited
Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati to participate in the Deba Snana Purnima
and Rath Yatra along with six of his disciples.
At the managing committee meeting held on Sunday under the
chairmanship of the Gajapati, it was resolved that no person other than the
servitors on duty would be allowed to touch the deities during the ‘Sahana
Mela’ (free public darshan) during Snana Purnima on June 2. Gajapati informed
that while the Shankaracharya is empowered to touch the Trinity during the
Snana Purnima, disciples accompanying him cannot do so.
Last year, protesting the decision of the temple administration
to allow only the Shankaracharya to offer prayer during the two rituals, the
Seer did not attend the Rath Yatra. However, this year, the temple managing
body allowed six disciples of the Shankaracharya to accompany him to Snana Bedi
and the chariots.
On Tuesday, both the Gajapati and Shankaracharya had a closed
door meeting for an hour and later the Seer told mediapersons that the temple
body has resolved to resume the age old practice of inviting Shankaracharya and
his disciples to participate in the grand fete of the deities.
Terming it as a welcome decision, the Seer asked the SJTA
officials not to interfere in the traditions and rituals of the Puri temple.
0 comments:
Post a Comment