LIVE TV
India
Recommended Stories
Puri: Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has made it clear that the devotees would not be allowed to touch the deities during Snana Purnima scheduled on June 20.
Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, chief administrator of SJTA, told media persons after a meeting with the Daitapati Nijog (a forum of body protectors of the Holy Trinity) here last night.
The Nijog presented three demands before the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) at a meeting headed by Chairman Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Collector Arvind Agrawal and SP Sarthak Sarangi here. But their demands were turned down.
“The devotees would not be allowed to touch the deities as it would prevent other pilgrims on the Badadanda to have a darshan of the Lords. We have made arrangements so that the devotees can have the darshan from near the barricades around the Snana Mandap,” said Mohapatra.
However, Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, the Badagrahi (body protector) of Lord Jagannath, said “The outcome of the meeting was good. The meeting discussed about smooth conduct of Deba Snana Yatra.”
During the meeting, the servitors demanded that, like the previous years, devotees be permitted to touch the ‘Snana Mandap’ (bathing altar) on which the deities will be placed on the ‘Snana Purnima’ on June 20. But, the administration said the pilgrims will be allowed to come only upto the barricades for darshan.
The Daitapatis take charge of the rituals of the three deities from ‘Snana Purnima’ till they return to the temple on ‘Niladri Bije’ after the Bahuda Yatra.
