'Brahma' pictures on social media four years old!

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, June 30:

The purported photograph of the 'Brahma', which has gone viral on social media causing great anguish among devotees of Lord Jagannath across Odisha, is actually four years old, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has found during its preliminary investigations.

The picture of the purported Brahma doing the rounds in the social media

In an official press release issued on Monday evening, SJTA said the photograph portrayed as ‘Brahma’ was uploaded in a video titled ‘Matsya Shaligram’ on youtube.com four years back on October 14, 2011. This photograph was posted on social media by one Himanshu Singhal, the release said.

“Rajeev Singhal, an expert and researcher on Shaligram, is researching on ‘Matsya Shaligram’, its specialities, shape and appearance, utility and source of availability. This information is available on youtube.com . Photograph of ‘Matsya Shaligram’ of Rajiv Shinghal’s research has been uploaded on youtube.com by one Himashu Singhal  as Lord Jagannath’s Brahma. This Shaligram is not the actual Brahma of Lord Jagannath. Therefore, devotees should not allow themselves to be tricked into believing that the photograph depicted as Brahma in both social and mainstream media is genuine.  Interested individuals can get appropriate information on this by visiting the site on Matsya Shaligram on youtube.com through their computers or mobile handsets with internet connectivity,” the release said.

The release, signed by Laxmidhar Puja Panda, PRO SJTA on Monday, said the temple administration has written to the ADG Crime Branch requesting it to conduct a thorough probe into the circulation of confusing pictures of different secret rituals of Lord Jagannath like infusion of Brahma, photographs of pataali rituals of the Lords and erroneous facts in the social media in the last few days. The SJTA has requested the ADG Crime Branch to consider its letter as an FIR in this regard.

The SJTA has reiterated that the photographs doing rounds on social media and claiming to be that of the secret rituals of Lord Jagannath are completely fictitious and there is no truth in it.

Visitors of odishasuntimes.com can click on the two hyperlinks below to have a reality check for themselves on the pictures doing the rounds on the social media as the Brahma of Lord Jagannath.