Puri: Days ahead of the Rath Yatra in Odisha's Puri, a controversy has erupted over the alleged theft of dashamula modaks, a medicinal offering prepared for Lord Jagannath’s recovery, from the Srimandir here.

According to reports, as many as 313 amuniya modaks provided by the Rajvaidya had been kept in the temple's garada ghara for offering to the deities. However, during the sacred ritual on Anabasara Ekadashi night (June 21), it was found that 70 modaks were missing.

The matter came to light when Haladhar Das Mohapatra, the badagrahi of Lord Balabhadra, noticed the shortage. He has written a formal complaint to the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), questioning how the missing modaks were still used in rituals.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration was yet to comment on the matter.

With the grand Rath Yatra just two days away, the incident has raised concerns over the management and sanctity of temple rituals.

The dashamula modak, a traditional Ayurvedic preparation, plays a crucial role during the Anasara period — the fortnight following Snana Purnima — when the deities are believed to fall ill after their ceremonial bath and are kept away from public view for recovery.