Puri Temple to Invite Seer,Disciples for 'Snana' Rituals

PURI: Putting to rest the controversy over participation of Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati in the Deba Snana Purnima and Rath Yatra rituals, the managing committee of Jagannath temple has decided to invite the seer along with his disciples to ‘Snana Bedi’ and Rath Yatra to offer prayers.

At the managing committee meeting held on Sunday under the chairmanship of Gajapati Dibyasingh Dev, 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.

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 has allowed six disciples of the Shankaracharya to accompany him to ‘Snana Bedi’ and the chariots.

Meanwhile, in another decision, it was resolved to extend financial assistance to the individuals and temples from where the Darus for the Trinity and Lord Sudarshan were collected.

Since Sudarshan Daru was standing on a Government land, the man who was taking care of the tree, Somnath Behera, would be gifted a wheel of a chariot.

The Sarala temple administration would be paid ` five lakh and gifted a wheel of the rath as Daru for Lord Balabhadra’s new idol was collected from the temple’s

vicinity.  Similarly, the Nilakantheswar Temple Trust where the holy Daru of Devi Subhadra was found  would be gifted ` five lakh and a wheel of the rath.

On the other hand, Krushna Chandra Mallick of Kharipadia on whose land the Daru for Lord Jagannath’s idol was spotted, would be paid ` three lakh and the villagers would be paid ` five lakh.

This apart, religious insignias would be erected at the sites from where the holy Neem trees were collected.The temple body almost doubled the wages of

Palia servitors and raised wages of carpenters by 20 per cent.

Chief Administrator of the Jagannath temple administration Suresh Chandra Mahapatra and all members of the temple managing committee participated in the meeting.

Source-http://www.newindianexpress.com/