Impasse over Banakalagi ritual of deities at Puri Srimandir continues 

The stalemate over the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath and his siblings at Srimandir in Puri still continues as the ritual that is traditionally observed after the Niladribije has not been conducted as yet. 

Even on Thursday, the ritual could not be conducted, leaving the devotees dejected. 

Sources said that the Duttamohapatra servitors went to the sanctum sanctorum today to perform the Banakalagi ritual. But the Srimandir commander stopped them from performing the ritual, citing there was no such permission. 

Thereafter, the Duttamohapatra servitors met the chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Ranjan Kumar Das, who told them that the ritual will be held on coming Wednesday. 

“The ritual should have been observed on June 1. Meanwhile, 27 days have passed. If the coming Wednesday is set aside for the ritual, there will be no issue,” said Sanjay Duttamohapatra, a servitor. 

Expressing his concern, a senior servitor, Kasinath Khuntia said, “The officials are doing whatever they want to do, sidelining the servitors.

This is why the present situation has cropped up. I have been demanding that the members of the managing committee should be elected by the servitors.”

When contacted, the chief administrator of SJTA said, “It has been decided today that a meeting of Niti sub-committee will be convened tomorrow where the topic will be discussed. The next date for the ritual will be fixed as per the recommendations.”