Bhubaneswar: Lord Lingaraj’s ‘Handi Bhanga Jatra’ remains suspended for 12th consecutive year

Bhubaneswar: Causing resentment among the devotees, the ‘Handi Bhanga Jatra’ of Lord Lingaraj could not be held in the Odisha capital here on Saturday.

The ritial remained suspended for the 12^th consecutive year due to a dispute between two groups of servitors.

Senior officials of Khurda district administration, led by Collector Amrit Ruturaj, made several rounds of discussions with the two groups of servitors at Lingaraj temple to resolve the dispute. 

However, the administration failed to resolve the dispute as both sides—Khuntia and Malia servitors—did not budge from their positions.

On the occasion of Handi Bhanga Jatra, Lord Lingaraj is taken to the nearby Kapileswar temple through a procession apparently to get rid of the effect of ‘Shani’ planet.

Other deities including Devi Parvati, Devi Durga and Lord Ananta Vasudev accompany Lord Lingaraj in a wooden palanquin.

As part of the ritual, the devotees and priests prepare Prasad with new earthen pots at Kapileswar temple. The earthen pots are broken once Lord Lingaraj leaves the shrine premises and commence his return journey.

As per reports, the authorities could not perform the Handi Bhanga Jatra as both Khuntia and Malia servitors remained adamant to perform the ritual exclusively without involving the other side.