Devotees of the lords at the Shree Jagannath Temple here were deprived of Mahaprasad as the Supakars (temple cooks) went on a cease-work from Monday protesting against the arrest of a fellow servitor. The temple administration, despite its persistent efforts for the whole day on Sunday, had failed to do resolve the issue.
The lords too had to content themselves with the Sakal Dhupa, commonly known as Kotha Bhoga or Raja Bhoga. The Suar Mahasuar Nijog of the temple has stopped cooking of Mahaprasad. The servitor body has also decided to stop preparation and sale of Sukhila Bhoga (confectionaries) apart from Anna Mahaparasad (rice meal).
The cooks are on agitation in protest against the arrest of their colleague Padmanava Pratihari, who was found selling Mahaprasad in the Bhitara Bedha outside the Ananda Bazaar (place meant for selling of Mahaprasad) located inside the temple premises on Friday in violation of the directive by the temple administration that Mahaprasad can only be sold at the Ananda Bazaar.
The Suar Mahasuar Nijog, which had served a notice to the temple administration in this regard, is supported by the Chhattisha Nijog (federation of servitor bodies of the temple). Notably, lord Jagannath and his siblings had remained without food for nearly six hours on Saturday due to the Nijog's cease-work. After Sahana Mela (public darshan) on Saturday morning, the Suars and Mahasuars did not allow the Rosha Homa ritual, held before cooking, to be performed.
As a result, Ballav (breakfast) and other rituals including lunch for the deities could not be prepared. It was only after Pratihari was released on bail that the servitors allowed Rosha Homa at 3.45 pm. The breakfast and lunch were offered to the deities at 6.20 pm.
Around 50 Nijog members cook Mahaprasad at the temple premises every day. The shrine's kitchen, which prepares Mahaprasad for over 10,000 people on a given day, is considered the biggest temple kitchen in the country.
A devotee, Chittaranjan Mohanty, had recently moved the Odisha High Court for streamlining sale of Mahaprasad. He alleged that non-servitors were selling Mahaprasad near the Bhitara Bedha close to the Anand Bazaar which created problems for devotees while moving around the temple.
The temple administration's order for sale of Mahaprasad only at the Anand Bazaar, is being vehemently resented by the servitors, who say that they had been selling Mahaprasad at the Ananda Bazaar for ages but the narrowing of space at the Ananda Bazaar by the administration has forced them to spill over into the Bhitara Bedha.
Puri district Collector Arvind Agarwal told the media that sale of Mahaprasad at other places than the Anand Bazaar has been prohibited in accordance with High Court's directives. A High Court Judge, during his recent visit to the temple, had seen the concerned servitor selling Mahaprasad in the Bhitara Bedha. As he informed the matter to the temple administration, the servitor was arrested and his Mahaprasad seized. The administration is trying its best to resolve the issue through discussions. Everything would be alright.