The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Friday took over the treasury of the Mahalakshmi Temple in presence of its servitors.
A team of eight officers led by Assistant Administrator SK Ray opened the treasury hitherto maintained by the traditional servitors and conducted inventory of all ornaments in the treasury.
The action was taken after reports of missing gold tiara of Goddess Mahalakshmi and servitors did not give any information about it to the SJTA. The administration took strong note of this and tightened grip over the servitors. The servitors fixed the missing tiara and explained that it was damaged and sent for repairs. During inventory of ornaments of the deity in the treasury, another gold tiara was found, besides other ornaments. The inventory would be compared with the items those were given by the main temple administration on different occasions.
Though the Mahalakshmi Temple servitors earlier had expressed resentment over the takeover of the treasury, they, however, cooperated with the administration. After completion of inventory, the administration locked the treasury and kept the key.
The SJTA earlier had resolved that no servitor shall collect donation in cash or in kind from the devotees. An officer would be deployed for the purpose as per the temple rules and the donors would be given receipts.
Meanwhile, SJTA Chief Administrator Pradip Jena assured that efforts are on to extend all benefits to the servitors of the Mahalakshmi Temple those were normally given to the servitors of lord Jagannath.
There are a number of temples of different deities like Vimala, Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, Ganesha, Shiva and Mahavir in the Jagannath Temple complex. They have separate servitors and treasuries, besides endowments. Only the servitors of lord Jagannath get the benefits of various welfare schemes. Goddesses Vimala and Mahalakshmi are functionally connected with the lord Jagannath. The prasada offered to lord Jagannath is again presented before the Vimala and only then it becomes the Mahaprasad. The administration had taken over the management of the Vimala temple in the past.