Puri Srimandir Banakalagi ritual day finalised

In an important decision, the Srimandir Managing Committee on Friday agreed to conduct the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath twice a month, on Wednesdays.

In case there are other rituals on a particular Wednesday, then the ritual can be conducted on Thursday, informed Puri Collector, Samarth Verma.

The ritual has been an issue of contention between the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the Srimandir servitors.

As per the Srimandir Record of Rights, the ritual should be held at least four times a month, but a reported dispute between the SJTA and the Dattamohapatra servitors has resulted in the disruption of the ritual.

Sources said, while the Dattamohapatra servitors keep insisting on conducting the ritual every Thursday, the SJTA has been keen on doing it on Wednesdays, hence the dispute.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lord Jagannath had been without his customary weekly-Banakalagi (Sringar) ritual since Niladribije this year which was held on July 1.