What led to mishap during Mahadipa lifting ritual at Lingaraj Temple?

A servitor at the famous Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar sustained grievous injuries during the lifting of the holy Mahadipa (lamp) on the night of the Maha Shivratri (Wednesday). The incident has sparked debate as to who is responsible for it.

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The servitor fell while attempting to climb up to the temple top along with the lamp, leading to his hospitalisation amidst concerns of negligence and lack of proper safety measures.

What eyewitnesses say about the fatal mishap

Eyewitnesses expressed that an excessive amount of ghee contributed to the mishap, causing the servitor to lose his grip. Doubts have been raised about whether insufficient sand padding at the base worsened the impact of the fall. In a statement to local officials, the servitor attributed the accident to a momentary loss of balance.

Brahman Nijog president, Narayana Mahapatra, echoed grievances about the overuse of oil, which he believes caused the fatal mishap. The accident occurred when the holy lamp was being lifted to the temple’s pinnacle, necessitating immediate medical treatment.

“Ghee is the only cause of the mishap. Sand layer would not have helped what I feel. What could be the thickness of a sand layer to save a man falling from 20 feet or 30 feet? At best it can be of 6-8 inches, but of no use,” Narayana Mahapatra opined.

“Age is not a factor behind the mishap. It all happened accidentally,” Mahapatra added.

“Sand should have been filled at the spot by the local administration. Maybe, sand could have helped my father from slipping due to the ghee. Besides, there was a huge rush inside the temple premises this year. The administration got engaged otherwise and ignored laying sand,” the injured servitor’s son Aswini Samartha said to OTV.

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Despite the disruption, the lamp was eventually lifted to its designated position. However, another servitor has also sustained injuries in the incident due to the spill of hot ghee.