In a clear sign of the deepening fissures within the Daitapati community, the Daitapati Nijog (the apex body of Daitapati servitors) has openly disowned the clarification put forth by the three Badagrahis (body protectors) of the deities of lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra over the alleged irregularities committed during the Brahma Paribartan as their ‘personal opinion’.“It is their personal opinion; we were not asked to attend the Press meet. We were completely unaware of it. The Nijog will give its comments later,” said Nijog secretary Premananda Das Mohapatra on Friday.The Daitapati Nijog secretary’s comments has spelt more trouble for the State Government by giving credence to allegationsthat Thursday’s Press conference by the three Badagrahis could be a sponsored programme of the Government to protect itself.
“The three Badagrahis had held the Thursday conference without consulting the office-bearers of the Daitapati Nijog. The Nijog is unable to accept the statements of the three Badagrahis,” said Das Mohapatra.Notably, Nijog members had made sensational revelations to the media on June 16 over the series of irregularities committed during the Brahma Parivartan. The fact that the most important ritual of the Nabakalebara, which according to temple traditions should have taken place in complete darkness and in utter secrecy, was performed during day time with about a 100 Daitapatis inside, has led to severe anguish among the believers of lord Jagannath.
With Daitapati servitors revealing to the media that some members had carried mobile phones inside the temple, suspicions have been raised that the Brahma Parivartan ritual could have been filmed and leaked. In fact videos and photographs of the Brahma Parivartan have already started doing the rounds in the social media, though their authenticity remains to be verified.Around this time, a photograph of law Minister Arun Sahu taking rest with Daitapati servitors at the camp during the Banajaga Yatra and another one of Daitapatis blessing him also started circulating in the social media adding further fuel to the fire that was raging in the State over the alleged gross mismanagement of the Brahma Parivartan ritual.
Following the controversy over the alleged mess during the Brahma Parivartan ritual, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has recorded the statements of the four Badagrahis, president and secretary of the Daitapati Nijog and ten Biswakarmas (carpenters engaged in the carving of the new idols). Based on their statements, the SJTA suspended two Daitapatis as per the provisions of Section 21 of the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1954.Questions were raised by reporters on the absence of Nabakishore Pati Mohapatra, the Badagrahi of lord Sudarshan at the Pressmeet to which the three Badagrahis could not give a satisfactory reply.