Daitapati Nijog president Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra, senior members of his clan Binayak Dasmahapatra and others, apart from Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, on Tuesday visited places along the Puri-Kakatpur route where the Banajaga Yatri would stay during their 65km padayatra which is scheduled to begin from March 29.
The team visited the scheduled spots to take stock of infrastructure development in the places particularly at Deuli mutt. It would go to Kakatpur through Puri-Konark marine drive road. As per the traditional schedule, on the way to Kakatpur the Banajaga Yatris would stay at Jagannath Ballav at Puri for 36 hours, Ramchandi temple near Chandrabhaga and Sankareswar Shiva temple at Kundhei before arriving at Deuli mutt near Kakatpur.
The Chief Administrator and the Daita leaders discussed with the servitors of Mangala temple at Kakatpur. The Mangala temple servitors raised a number of demands which were discussed but remained inconclusive. Mahapatra told mediapersons that things would be sorted out amicably in his next visit. As per tradition, after arriving of the Banajaga Yatris at Deuli mutt, senior members of Goddess Mangala servitors in a ceremonial procession invite them to the temple wherein a set of rituals are performed to invoke divine blessings of the goddess for success of their Daru search mission.
About 100 Daitas besides priests, plumbers and other support staff amid tight security would begin their journey on March 29 from the Jagannath Ballav mutt after making preparations for the journey. Administrator Mahapatra said, “Apart from providing basic amenities for the visiting Banajaga team at these places, we have chalked out plans for crowd control at the halting places as a large number of local devotees are expected to flock in.”
Elaborate arrangements including security are being taken at Deuli mutt where the Daru search team is to stay for a week. While road to the Deuli mutt is being widened, a parking lot for 100 four-wheelers is under construction. A big kitchen, conference hall, bathing complex, rest sheds and a huge altar was being constructed. A portion of the Prachi river close to the Deuli mutt is being dredged to make river water available for their religious use, it is learnt. The Tourism and Irrigation Departments were involved in the development works.