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Dispute between servitors halts rituals at Lingaraj Temple during holy month of Kartika Photograph: (File)
A dispute among sevayats at Lingaraj Temple in Odisha's Bhubaneswar has disrupted rituals for the second consecutive day during the sacred month of Kartika. As a result, devotees and Habisyalis are likely to be deprived of the Lord’s prasad on Thursday once again, prompting calls for administrative intervention.
According to reports, four sevayats are usually appointed to conduct the daily rituals of Lord Lingaraj. However, a personal disagreement among them led to the suspension of temple activities since Wednesday morning. Like the previous day, the rituals were reportedly stopped after the Mangala Alati on Thursday. Despite multiple meetings held to resolve the issue, no conclusion could be obtained at the time of reporting.
Repeated Disruptions Reported In The Past
Sources indicated that similar disruptions have occurred in the past, where disputes among sevayats resulted in the halting of all temple rituals and offerings. The ongoing situation has caused concern among devotees, who have urged the administration to intervene and restore normal temple proceedings.
Call For Resolution From Temple Trustee
Temple Trustee and Congress leader Sura Routray expressed concern over the situation and said, “The month of Kartika is sacred. Devotees and Habisyalis come here to partake in the Lord’s prasad. The ongoing dispute among sevayats has led to the suspension of rituals, which is unacceptable. As per tradition, rice should be ground with a wooden pounder (dhinki) and used to prepare pitha for offering to Lord Lingaraj. The disagreement over this process has prevented offerings since yesterday.”
He further added, “The government, collector, ADM and other authorities must address this issue immediately. It is disheartening that if the rituals are not completed by 9:00 am today, the Lord will again go without food for the entire day. I urge all temple personnel and Nijogs to set aside their differences and carry out the rituals as per custom.”