The 12-hour Odisha Bandh called by the Congress on Friday protesting the Brahma Parivartan fiasco in Puri rituals and demanding a judicial probe into the episode received unprecedented public response. Normal life was crippled with vehicular traffic coming to a grinding halt. However, two-wheelers, however, were seen moving in most parts of the city were as usual.Most retail shops, tea stalls, fruits markets, betel shops and footpath trade at some places had remained open till 11 am, but later they shut down apprehending danger to their properties.
Almost all major educational institutions, offices and large commercial establishments, banks, BMC office, Post Offices and Telephone Bhavan remained closed. The most crowded Biriyani and soup corridor near the Ramalingam Tank was deserted.Train services were affected for some time as Congress workers in batches held picketing at the railway station blocking tracks. Court works came to a halt as lawyers extended their support to bandh. By and large, the bandh remained peaceful.
The bandh was led by DCC president Dr Bhagaban Gantayat, former Union Minister Chadrasekhar Sahu, PCC secretary Bikram Panda, Mahila Congress district president T Premanjali, Youth Congress president Ajit Panda ad Students Congress president Biswajit Patra.Meanwhile, social worker and president of socio-cultural organisation Ekkaki Trinath Maharana demanded stringent action against all those including the Temple Administrator and Daitapati servitors responsible for violating the centuries-old traditions of Brahma Parivartan.
A large number of lord Jagannath devotees assembled in front of the Bijipur Jagannath temple and condemned the attitude of Temple Administration, the Government and the Daitapatis ignoring the advice of the Puri Gajapati Maharaja and Jagadguru Shankaracharya.