Ranjan Kumar Das is currently working as the Chief Administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration at Puri. He has been devotedly offering his services to the Lord ever since he took over the reins of the temple administration.

In an interview to ‘The Pioneer,’ Das spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on the many issues concerning the Parikrama Project and on the cult of Lord Jagannath.

Could you please tell us about the aims and objectives of the ‘Parikrama Prakalpa’?

Shreemandir is a sacred place of worship of the entire Odia race from time immemorial wherein the presiding supreme deity Lord Jagannath is ensconced. The beauty of the grand old majestic temple was eclipsed by construction of hotels, restaurants, shops, mutts along with burgeoning commercial market complexes. The Natya Mandap of the temple along with the Meghanada Pacheri or the huge, stupendous boundary wall was not visible to the onlookers, visitors and devotees because of the undesirable massive constructions. The mutts were also surrounded by commercial complexes which destroyed the aesthetics of the inner sights of the mutts thereby diminishing its spiritual environment. Therefore, the Shreemandir Parikrama Prakalpa was designed for the smooth and hassle-free darshan of the devotees, besides providing an envelope of protection to the temple. In addition, the project also aims at providing comfortable access to the temple, while providing devotees rest during their visit.

What is the significance of Shreemandir Parikrama Project?

In a radius of 75 meters encircling from the Meghanada walls boundary, it provides development of the encircled site providing amenities to the visitors, while aiming at creating a spiritual atmosphere to the devotees besides granting them a cool, calm and serene beauty. A nine-layer construction zone has been created in the 75 meters encircled space. These include green zone, inner visiting road, medicinal herbs garden, outer visiting road, shelter points, drinking water facility zone, information and donation centres, primary health centres, cultural stages, bathrooms, service corridors, mixed traffic lanes, parking spaces, police assistance centres and debris collection centres and the like, which shall provide a unique feeling of delight, besides taking stock of the rituals and protection of the temple.

How could it be beneficial to the devotees?

Unlike the past, the devotees can now proceed through the Shree Setu and park their vehicles at Shree Jagannath Ballav parking and after proceeding through the AC corridor, they shall be able to reach directly at the reception counter. They can wait comfortably there for their turns. After having been cleared of street vendors, now the Grand Road appears very wide and delightful. Commercial shops on either side of the road lend a pleasing look after painted in one colour throughout. The Shree Marga stretching from Jagannath Ballav Pramod Udyan to Dola Bedi offers a sight of bewitching greenery to one and all. Many battery driven cars and electric buses have been provided free of cost to the devotees.

What are the plans on your agenda for providing hassle-free darshan to the devotees?

The servitors of the temple are administered with training how to behave decently with the devotees. On the contrary, the devotees are also requested to put on decent dresses and not to chew beetles, tobacco and use polythene inside the premises. Besides, attempts are made to maintain strict discipline in the Ananda Bazar. A special battalion has been sanctioned by the Government with a view to providing and ensuring the protection of the temple.

 Puri is a place of pilgrimage. But the developments here are allegedly tourism centric. What is your response in this regard?

Puri, being a sacred place of pilgrimage, entices one and all. If tourists fall in love with this place and keep coming here then there is nothing to worry. Basic amenities and comforts are to be provided to one and all. But indiscipline, vulgarity and obscene dresses cannot be allowed here. One should remember that Puri is no pleasure garden; instead this is the land of renunciation and abject surrender before the immaterial and the infinite.

 What are your plans for propagation of the cult of Lord Jagannath at the international level for the benefit of mankind?

An attempt has been made to constitute a forum connecting all temples of Lord Jagannath in the State and outside so as to start the rituals of the Lord at one time all over the country and outside. The attempt will reinforce a strong bond of unity among the lovers and followers of Lord Jagannath and will make the cult more vibrant. Many seminal books on the cult of Lord Jagannath have been printed and published and the distribution work is already on the offing. A monthly newsletter along with half yearly journal called ‘Shree Mandir’ is being regularly published. Saints, seers from various mutts of the country after their return from Parikrama Prakalp ceremony, will obviously preach and propagate the cult of the Lord.

You are first a devotee of the Lord and then an administrator. You are a witness to many incidents and experiences here at the temple. Could you please share with us some of your experiences?

I am often misunderstood as I am not an exhibitionist. Devotion springs eternally and silently at one’s heart. The Lord has been kind enough to have appointed a person like me in his divine service, who (myself) had no time previously to have a darshan of the Lord. Now I am privileged to render my services to the Lord, day in and day out. This has indeed overwhelmed me.