Chhatisa Nijog alleges theft of daru pieces; demands action on Daitas

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, June 22:

Even as the list of irregularities allegedly committed during the Brahma parivartan ritual of the presiding deities of Shree Jagannath temple in Odisha’s holy city is getting longer with every passing day, the federal body of servitors’ has leveled a serious allegation of pieces of daru being stolen/smuggled out of the temple premises.

The serious allegation of pieces of darus being smuggled out of the temple premises through the Western Gate was leveled at a meeting of the Chhatisa Nijog, the federal body of servitor bodies   held within the temple premises on Sunday.

The representatives of various servitor bodies at the meeting drew attention of SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra about the theft of pieces of holy timber.

However, the chief administrator feigned ignorance of any such happening. Representatives of different servitor bodies demanded a probe into the matter.

They alleged that the temple administration and the state government were trying to appease the Daitapati servitors, which in turn had led to the gross mismanagement in Ghata parivartan ritual of the Lords. This has brought a bad name for all classes of servitors as a whole, the Chhatisa Nijog rued.

Besides, they demanded delisting of Daitapati Nijog from the Chhatisa Nijog and put sanctions on them.

The meeting called for action against the erring Daitapatis.