Stalemate over ‘Banakalagi’ ritual at Puri Srimandir continues as management committee meeting postponed

Uncertainty over the ‘Banakalagi’ ritual of the Holy Trinity at Srimandir in Puri has lingered further as the management committee meeting scheduled to be held today has been postponed. 

At the Niti (ritual) sub-committee meeting held on July 28, it was decided that the decision regarding the ‘Banakalagi’ ritual would be taken at the management committee meeting. Since the meeting has been postponed, it is certain that the impasse will continue, at least for some more days.  

It is to be noted here that the management committee meeting has been cancelled for the second time. This time, the letters served to the committee members mention no reason for the postponement of the meeting. The letter only states that the meeting has been postponed due to unavoidable reasons. 

After the Rath Yatra this year, the management committee meeting was scheduled to be held on July 27 but it was postponed. 

Similarly, the ‘Banakalagi’ ritual has been lingering since ‘Niladree Bije’. The impasse is continuing as the decision regarding the fixation of the day for the ritual can’t be taken. 

Notably, after the Niti (ritual) sub-committee meeting held on July 28, chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Ranjan Kumar Das had said that the decision on the ritual would be taken on the management committee meeting to be held on August 1.