News from Puri

As per reports, the servitors of Suar and Mahasuar Nijog were allegedly involved in a dispute with other servitors following the Bada Snana ritual of the Lord. It resulted in delay in Bhoga coming out of the Bhoga Mandap even though it was prepared in the afternoon.

ASI conservation assistant Jyotiprakash Pradhan inspected the part where the crack has appeared. He said,“The portion of the temple where the crack has appeared was covered with earth earlier. Parts of the temple sides were under encroachment. It is being cleared. Due to the Parikrma project, the earth was cleared and the crack has become visible."

The rice verifying committee was formed following a meeting at Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) office on Friday night, informed Srimandir Managing Committee member Ananta Tiadi.

The infighting in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was once again out in the open during the Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha programme at Astarang in Puri where Minister of State for Home, Tusharkanti Behera had to face an embarrassing situation. 

A 12-member team left from Koraput Jagannath Temple, also known as Shabara Srikshetra with one quintal of Kalajeera Rice on Friday.

As per reports, a Mekap servitor and a Chunara servitor got into a fight over the sale of flags near the Natamanadap. It was alleged that during the fight, the Chunara servitor also lost his gold chain. 

Srimandir in Puri will remain out of bounds for devotees for three hours for the ‘Banakalagi ritual’ on Wednesday. 

According to sources, the names of Sarpanch and some others were not mentioned in the plaques. It is alleged that the supporters of the sarpanch and the block chairperson deliberately damaged the plaques. Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the police station. 

The outfit under the aegis of ‘Milita Odisha Nisha Nibaran Abhiyan’ chose January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to take out the protest in Puri.

The state government’s programme of bringing devotees from different parts of the state to Puri to give them an opportunity to see the Parikrama project courted controversy from the first day itself. 

The discovery of broken Buddhist icons made of ingenious rock and the carving of Naga Kanyas and Gaja Sinhas in the four pillars of the temple offer ample testimony of the Buddhist memorial. The site is said to have flourished between 1st-2nd BC and 10th-11th AD.

In the message, the college principal asked the students to reach the college campus by 9 am. From there, they will be shifted in a bus to Panchasakha Padia where they will get Rs 150-snacks packets.  The message also mentioned that the state government has made provision of Rs 350-biriyani packets along with water bottles at 1.30 PM. 

According to the agitating vendors, they were evicted from the Bada Danda in the first week of December 2023, and the administration promised to rehabilitate them in vending zones from the Pilgrim centre to Shree Setu in two months. With only a few days left to the two-month deadline, there is no sight of the commencement of work. 

The makeshift roadside vendors from Market Chhak to Hospital Chhak that were evicted on December 25 on account of the inauguration of the Srimandir Parikrama project in Puri staged a demonstration on the Grand Road (Bada Danda ) on Friday demanding rehabilitation. 

The Orissa High Court in November 2023, expressed its displeasure over the delay in the restoration work of Puri Srimandir Natamandap and directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to start its work from November 16.