Lord Lingaraj’s divine wedding to be held on May 30, confirms temple administration

The divine wedding ceremony of Mahaprabhu Lingaraj is scheduled to be held on May 30. On that night, Lord Lingaraj will leave the temple in a ceremonial procession and proceed to the Kedar Gauri Temple to marry Goddess Gauri. After the wedding rituals, the Lord will return to the Lingaraj Temple on the night of May 31.

As per the original Khadiratna Panji (Hindu almanac), the astrologers of the Lingaraj Temple had fixed May 30 as the auspicious date. Based on this, the temple administration and all associated servitors had agreed to follow the rituals accordingly.

Kedaragauri Committee Caught Off Guard by Change

The revised schedule has, however, left the Kedaragauri Temple Committee disappointed. The committee had earlier announced May 31 as the date of the divine wedding and distributed invitation cards to several prominent figures, including the Chief Minister of Odisha. The shift in schedule sparked disputes and confusion among organisers.

Narendra Mahapatra, General Secretary of the Kedaragauri Temple Committee, expressed concern: “The previously announced dates have now been changed, which has created multiple difficulties. We are unsure what to tell the guests to whom we had already distributed invitation cards. The temple purohit should have referred to a single almanac instead of multiple ones, as this has led to considerable inconvenience for the organisers.”

After a review by the Khurda district administration, the Additional District Magistrate formally endorsed the revised date based on astrological recommendations, thereby resolving the conflict.

Officials Speak on the Date Dispute

Biranchi Pati, Secretary of Brahmana Nijog clarified, “We followed the original Khadiratna Panjika that is used in Puri and took the dates from it for the event. According to this almanac, the auspicious time for Lord Lingaraj’s marriage falls on May 30, and Sital Sasthi will commence from May 31. The temple has decided to observe it accordingly, based on the tithi given by the temple astrologer.”

Rudra Narayan Mohanty, Additional District Collector of Khurda, confirmed the resolution: “The event will take place as per the astrologer’s instructions. The dates were verified with the almanac due to the disagreement regarding the timing of the event.”

Sital Sasthi to Follow Wedding Celebrations

The celebration of Sital Sasthi, which symbolises the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, will begin from May 31. The finalised schedule aims to maintain the sanctity of tradition while addressing administrative clarity for this revered festival.