Noted persons from different fields on Saturday urged the State Government to take immediate steps to uphold the age-old tradition and glory of the Jagannath Temple of Puri.
“Shreejagannath and Shreemandir are the epitomes of dignity, self-respect and identity of Odisha. But continued disruptions in management of the temple have damaged the glory of Odisha. The State Government should constitute a high-level committee for protection of the Shreemandir tradition,” said speakers at a brainstorming session organised by the Gurujan Parishad here.
The intellectual seminar was presided over by Gurujan Parishad president and noted thinker Kartika Chandra Chand and coordinated by former District Judge Umacharan Mishra. Speakers discussed in detail on the Shree Jagannath Temple administration system, devotees’ security and easy Darshan, rituals and related punctuality, servitors’ accountability and their financial conditions, usefulness of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act and promotion of the Shreejagannath culture. The Parishad demanded that the management of the temple should be put under the General Administration Department and Puri should be made a Revenue Division Commission and Shree Mandir temple management committee should be formed as per the advice of the Gajapati Maharaja. The speakers too opined that devotees should be restricted entry into the Garva Gruha, installation of CCTV cameras in and outside the temple, deployment of two platoons of police forces (of both men and women), provision of identity cards for all servitors, JTPs and administrative officials and abolition of hereditary services of the servitors.
Among others, Armi Bhushan Tripathy, Raghunath Mishra, Prafulla Kumar Rath, Dr Sharat Chandra Panigrahi, Er Prafulla Kumar Rath, Dr Arya Kumar Jnanendra, Badrinath Patnaik, Er Ashok Rath, Menaka Kinnar, Chitrupa Sarangi, Shibanand Ray, Dr Harihar Kanungo, Dr Guruprasad Mohanty, Bhagirathi Mahasuar, Batakrushna Mishra and
Dibya Singha Mishra were present. Parishad vice-president Brajamohan Mohanty proposed vote of thanks.