Makar Sankranti: Dispute between servitor groups stalls rituals at Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar

Several rituals of Lord Lingaraj have been stalled since Monday evening due to a dispute between two servitor groups of the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar.

As per the rituals, the Mahasuara servitors prepare 'Ghruta Kamala' after Lord Lingaraj is taken to Makar Mandap following the auspicious 'Pushyabhiseka Sandhya Dhupa' ritual. 

The 'Ghruta Kamala' is offered to Lord Lingaraj on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. However, the Badu servitor insisted on conducting the ritual alone, leading to the interruption of the sacred ceremonies.

Following the discord, Lord Lingaraj has remained seated at the Makar Mandap since last evening, with no further rituals being performed; nor has the deity been taken back to the southern sanctum, as per tradition.

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"As per the tradition, Badu servitors prepare 'Ghruta Kamala' but the Maharuara servitor insisted on conducting the ritual alone causing an interruption in the rituals of Lord Lingaraj. Several rituals of the God have been stalled but it cannot be termed as the Lord has been kept hungry," said Kamalakanta Badu, secretary of Badu Nijog of the shrine.

"The Badu Nijog has been creating disturbances and the temple administration is well aware of it. We don't have any intention to interrupt the rituals. The temple administration should come up with an immediate solution," demanded Biranchi Narayan Pati, secretary of Sri Lingaraj Temple Brahmin Nijog.

This is not the first time when a dispute between servitor groups has led to disruption of rituals at the shrine.

In August 2024, Lord Lingaraj was kept hungry following a dispute between Pujapanda Nijog and Badu Nijog. 

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Non-observance of the rituals had triggered outrage among devotees as the Pujapanda Nijog and Badu Nijog continued to lock horns over ‘Paita Lagi Niti’, forcing the Lord to go hungry.