Jagannath Puri temple to be made no-flying zone

Odisha Sun Times Bureau Puri, Feb 28:

The Odisha government has decided to declare the area in and around the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri as a no flying zone during the Nabakalebara Yatra.

A high level review meeting on traffic and crowd control during Nabakalebara Yatra held here Wednesday decided to put the restriction in effect in the area in and around Shree Mandir after the search for daru (neem trees for making of idols) is completed.

The meeting worked out on different strategies and actions to be adopted for crowd control both inside and outside Shree Mandir during the mega Nabakalebara Yatra wherein a crowd of 50 lakh is expected. Also steps will be taken for a foolproof traffic control system. In order to keep the crowd under control around the chariots and the Shree Mandir, 30 wide screen televisions will be installed at important locations where people can watch Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra, Sunabesh and other rituals directly from the Rath Khala-the place where the chariots are parked in front of the Shree Mandir.

Special arrangements will be made for darshan inside the temple premises. Steps will be taken for dhadi (queue) darshan and conduct of different rituals through different entrances of the temple and for entry of devotees in phases. Baggage scanners will be installed in the entrances of the temple. A total 300 CCTV cameras will be installed at bus stands, railway station and different points in the town to keep vigil as well as keep an eye on crowd movement. Vehicles will not be allowed into Puri town as crowds begin to grow for the Nabakalebara Yatra. Entry and exit charts will be prepared for allowing vehicles coming from Bhubaneswar into parking places. Bypasses at Biraharkrushnapur, Maltipatapur and Gopalpur will be used for effective traffic control during the Nabakalebara Yatra.

Identification of unsafe buildings in the pilgrim town has been completed and these building will be sealed during the festival to avoid any mishaps like building collapse etc. Places have been identified for parking and rest sheds. Till date the ground in front of BNR, Jatrika, premises of Hotel Nilachal Ashok, Samagra, ground near Indoor stadium, ground alongside Puri ITI and ground owned by the Tourism department at Baliguali have been identified for parking places. Apart from these additional land required for parking will be estimated and indentified.

In view of large crowds expected both at the bus stand and railway station at Malatipatapur which are located at either side and the national highway passing through them a foot over-bridge will be constructed to connect the two.

A cloak room will be constructed near the Shree Mandir for tourists and devotees to keep their valuables and baggage. Road around the four sides of the Shree Mandir will be widened by another 30 feet.

In the meeting it was discussed that VVIP guests coming from both inside and outside the state will be kept in Bhubaneswar, arrangements will be made for their safe transport to Puri during the Nabakalebara Yatra amid tight security.

The meeting, chaired by additional chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, was attended by secretary Home, DGP, director Intelligence and Research, IG (Central), special secretary Power, chief administrator Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, collector Puri, officials of the NHAI and senior officials of other concerned departments.

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Jagannath temple cooks threaten to boycott work

Monday, March 02, 2015

Puri: Jagannath temple cooks threaten 2boycott work protesting arrest of a servitor. On the other hand Puri temple administration to convene Chhatisa Nijog meet today to resolve issues pertaining to Mahaprasad preparation.

The Suar and Mahasuar Nijog of the Shree Jagannath Temple on Sunday warned not to cook Mahaprasad from Monday while expressing strong resentment over the arrest of one of their colleagues, Padmanav Pratihari, on the charge of selling Maharpasad in the Bhitarbedha (inner perimeter of the temple) on Friday. Pratihari’s arrest and restriction on Mahaprasad sale in Bhitarbedha has triggered widespread angers among the Suars (Shree Mandir cooks). It was reflected on Saturday as Suars didn’t allow performing of Rosha Homa as a result of which Mahaprasad preparation was delayed for eight hours till Pratihari was released on bail.

Suar and Mahasuar Nijog president Bhagban Suar handed over a letter to the Chief Administrator of the Temple on Saturday night informing the Nijog’s decision not to cook Mahaprasad from Monday. The cooks’ body has been protesting the restriction imposed by the temple administration on sale of Mahaprasad in the Bhitarbedha beyond the Anand Bazaar, the designated Mahaprasad market in the temple premises, for long. Notably, the administration imposed the restriction following a High Court order. 

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Gajapati Maharaj meets PM Narendra Modi; Invites him to Puri

Sunday, March 01, 2015

New Delhi: Gajapati Maharaja of Puri Sri Divya Singh Dev called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday. 

Gajapati Maharaja invited Prime Minister to grace the Birth Centenary Celebrations of Swami Chidananda Saraswati Maharaj to be held in Odisha's temple town of Puri. Slated to be inaugurated on September 25, 2015, the celebrations will be a four-day event. 

The Maharaja requested the Prime Minister to accept the invitation to grace the inaugural function of the birth centenary celebrations of former President of Divya Jiban Sangha, Rishikesh along with his Holiness Sankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati. The Puri king also discussed the ensuing Nabakalabara celebrations of Lord Jagannath and the grand preparation of the divine event.

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Servitors’ Stir at Jagannath Puri Keeps Lords Hungry

By Express News Service

01st March 2015

PURI: Lord Jagannath and his siblings had to remain hungry for six hours on Saturday following a cease-work by ‘Suar’ and ‘Mahasuar’ clan of servitors (temple cooks).

They resorted to the agitation in protest against arrest of a servitor, Padmanava Pratihari, who was found selling ‘Mahaprasad’ outside the temple on Friday in violation of a directive by the temple administration that ‘Mahaprasad’ can only be sold at the Ananda Bazaar on the temple premises. Members of temple administration found Pratihari selling the ‘Mahaprasad’ and informed the Lion’s Gate police who arrested and forwarded him to court. The court rejected his bail plea and remanded him in judicial custody.

After ‘Sahana Mela’ (public darshan) on Saturday morning, the temple cooks did not allow ‘Rosha Homa’ (a ritual that is carried out before cooking) to be performed. As a result, ‘Ballav’ (breakfast) for the deities could not be prepared. Other rituals including preparation of lunch for the deities could not be performed. 

After Pratihari was released on bail, the servitors allowed ‘Rosha Homa’ at 3.45 pm. The breakfast and lunch were offered to the deities at 6.20 pm.

Temple Public Relations Officer Laxmidhar Pujapanda said the temple administration will soon discuss the issue with the Suar Mahasuar Nijog.

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Jagannath Batika project launched in Odisha capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23:

Amid growing concern expressed about the paucity of quality timber for construction of the three massive chariots for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri, a project taken up to ensure more plantations all over Odisha was flagged off by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, Dibyasingha Deb on Sunday.

The project, christened ‘Jagannath Batika’, has been jointly launched by the SOA University and the socio-cultural organization ‘Prerana’.

“It’s time that we understand that our survival depends on the survival of the trees. It’s a scientific fact. We know about this but are more worried about other things including our livelihood,” the Gajapati Maharaja said while inaugurating the project at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), the faculty of engineering of SOA University in the presence of School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, DGP Sanjeev Marik, Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Mahanayak of Chhatisha Nijog of the Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri Janardan Pattajoshi Mohapatra, CMD of Nalco Anshuman Das, vice-chancellor of the Tirupati Sanskrit University, Prof Harekrushna Satpathy and vice-chancellor of SOA University Prof Amit Banerjeet.

The program was attended by hundreds of delegates from all over the state representing educational institutions and organizations.

The Gajapati Maharaja also referred to the Jagannath Bana Prakalpa, launched by the government a few years ago to ensure unhindered flow of timber required for the use of the Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri.

“The project began well, but we have no idea what happened thereafter,” he remarked.

Recalling his childhood days when Odisha was full of forest and teeming with wildlife, he said institutes, organisations and people should support the new program and plant trees wherever they had land available for use. “The corporate sector should also extend its support to this,” he said while congratulating SOA University and ‘Prerana’ for launching the project.

President of Prerana, Dilip Srichandan said under the new project, saplings of various trees including neem, phasi and asan would be provided to the people and institutions over a period of time to help greening of the state.

The Gajapati Maharaja said the Puri temple used to get its requirement of timber from the forests of Daspalla and Ranpur, but it was imperative to maintain the quality of the wood as it was not available now.

The School and Mass Education minister lauded the initiative saying it was time that humankind took care of nature for its own survival.

Those present on the occasion included eminent sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, famous playback singer Prafulla Kar, cine actors Sabysachi Mishra and Archita Sahu, managing member of SOA University Gopabandhu Kar and CEO of Prameya Group Sunil Das.

ITER director Dr Manas Kumar Mallick felicitated the dignitaries on the occasion.

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Third Eye Vigil on Pilgrim Town, Jagannath Puri

By Express News Service 

26th February 2015 

PURI: A five-layer security cover would be thrown over Puri for the ensuing Nabakalebar and Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

This was decided at a meeting held to review special security arrangements for the month-long festival on Wednesday, which was presided over by Additional Chief Secretary, Aditya Padhi.

The Grand Road, venue of the Rath Yatra, other main roads, parking lots, pilgrim shelters, bus terminals and the railway station, would be put under close circuit camera (CCTV) surveillance. As many as 350 close circuit cameras (CCTVs) would be installed at the designated places by the State Police Housing Corporation before April.

A central security unit would be opened for the grand fete that would be equipped with three bullet proof four-wheelers, satellite phones, besides sophisticated arms and ammunitions.

For effective crowd management, 30 large digital screens will be installed at various points of the city and a traffic control unit would operate from a special facility at the Kumbharpara police station complex.

Prior to the festival, the four marine police stations at Astarang, Ramchandi, Chakratirth and Arakhkuda would be made fully operational with all state-of-art gadgets and adequate staff. Two interceptor boats would patrol the Puri coastline. It was decided at the meeting that 16 unsafe buildings along the Grand Road will either be demolished or sealed. The Ministry of Civil Aviation would also be approached seeking permission to declare the temple air space as no-flying zone for one month.

Among others, District Magistrate Aravind Agarwal, DGP Sanjeev Marik, Revenue Divisional Commissioner Bikash Chandra Mahapatra, SP Asish Kumar Singh, Superintending engineer of Archaeological Survey of India (Bhubaneswar circle) Bhuban Bikram participated.

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‘Abhada sale only in Ananda Bazar in Odisha’s Jagannath Temple’

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Puri, Feb 19: 

Keeping the massive rush of devotees during Nabakalebara in Odisha’s Puri town scheduled in June this year, in mind, the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided to stop sale of ‘abhada’ (cooked food) for the Lords inside the temple premises.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened by the SJTA here on Saturday following the directive of the Odisha High Court.

The court had issued the directive after hearing a PIL in which the petitioner had alleged that the devotees were facing trouble inside the temple due to sale of abhada in and around Anand Bazar inside the temple premises.

The meeting presided over by the SJTA chief administrator and RDC Bikash Chandra Mohapatra, was attended by the members of the Suara and Mahasuar Nijog, Puri collector Arvind Agrawal and SP Ashish Kumar Singh.

As per the decision taken at the meeting, the supakaras (sellers of abhada and other dry foods and sweets) would henceforth sell the abhada from inside their shops at Anand Bazar.

It was also decided that the Supakaras will have to renew the registration of their shops inside Anand Bazar by February 15 by giving details of their sale failing which the Temple administration would cancel their lease and shops would be allotted to the bidders through tender.

Besides, the meeting also decided to stop sale of ‘tanka torani’ (watered rice) inside the temple. “We have requested the Suara Mahasuar Nijog to cooperate the temple administration in identifying the non-servitors who would not be allowed to sale ‘abhada’ inside the temple.

“The proposal to sell ‘abhada’ from the shops inside Anand Bazar is right. But as the sale was going on outside the area of Anand Bazar, we had apprised the temple authorities of the problem and requested them to take a decision in this regard, said Bhagaban Suara, president of the Nijog.

According to Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, treasurer of the Nijog, the original area of Anand Bazar has been squeezed due to construction of permanent structures. “If these structures are removed, we would accommodate the sellers inside the Bazar premises so that the periphery area would remain clean and open,” 

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