Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has courted a controversy by comparing lord Jagannth’s ‘Chhera Pahnara’ ritual with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
State law Minister Pratap Jena has demanded an apology from Pradhan for allegedly insulting the Odia culture and Shree Jagannath culture.
The Chhera Pahnara ritual is meant for sweeping of the three deities’ chariots’ floors with a golden broom by the Puri Gajapati King during the Rath Yatra and also on the occasion of Snan Purnima.
“Dharmendra Pradhan comparing the Chhera Pahnara ritual with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an insult to the Jagannath culture and tradition.
The Union Minister should apologise for his remark,” said Jena.
Replying to Jena’s demand, Pradhan said that the former should not try to divert the attention of people from the real issue of disappearance of the keys of the Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar.
“Devotion is a matter of individual preference and no one needs he BJD’s advice. The BJD leaders are making such statements to cover their own inefficiency and trying to divert people’s attention from their failure in keeping the treasury of the Shreemandir safe,” said Pradhan.
legends say that the then King of Kanchi had refused to get his daughter married off to the then King of Puri because he was performing Chhera Pahnara on the lord’s chariots. The Kanchi King had also dared to call the Puri King as a “sweeper”.
Now, Pradhan taking up the matter and describing the practice of Chhera Pahnara as an ordinary sweeping act has sparked off a widespread resentment among the people; and no wonder, the State’s ruling BJD has got an opportunity to attack the Union Minister and demand his apology.