Odisha Nabakalebara: New twist to Brahma Parivartan row

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, June 28:

Even as outrage over the mess during the Brahma Parivartan of the presiding deities of the Shree Mandir in the holy town of Puri continues to mount across Odisha with each new revelation, suspended Daitapati Kashinath Das Mohapatra has set the cat among the pigeons claiming the existence of a mythological text called ‘Indra Neelamani Purana’ (‘pothi’ or scripture of the Daitas), which apparently has specific guidelines on touching the Brahma, its darshan and all secret rituals of the Lord.

Coming as it does shortly after his revelation that at least nine Daitapatis had a darshan of and touched the Brahma, Das Mohapatra’s claim has surprised one and all.

Das Mohapatra’s invocation of the ‘Indra Neelamani Purana’ or ‘pothi' has set tongues wagging that it is a desperate attempt by the Daitapatis to explain away the presence of people other than the four badagrahis, who and who alone are supposed to touch the Brahma (and that too blind-folded), inside the anasara pindi at the time.

‘Indra Neelamani Purana’ or ‘pothi’ is a handbook of elaborate guidelines (dos & don’ts ) on  Brahma sparsha (touch), Brahma darshan, Ghata parivartan, Bigraha Nirmana (carving of idols), Brahma randhra (cavity in the belly of the idols where the Brahma substance is kept), Brahma kabati (lid used to seal the cavity where the Brahma in kept in the idols), Brahma sanstahpana (infusion of Brahma into the idols)  and pataali (burial) of the old idols," Das Mohapatra said.

Curiously, the senior Daitapati claimed that the pothi’/handbook (about which very few have heard) is with one Daitapati and its contents are not meant to be made public.

A debate has now begun on what is more important: keeping the ‘pothi’ secret or the sentiments of the devotees of Lord Jagannath?

The comments of Kashinath Das Mohapatra have put the administration in a fix. The inevitable question that is being asked in knowledgeable circles is: If the ‘pothi’ is secret and cannot be viewed by anybody and the rituals have to be conducted on the basis of it, where does that leave the Record of Rights (RoR)? And on what basis is the chief administrator conducting a probe into the incident? .

Many feel that the Daitapatis are using the ‘Indra Neelamani Purana’ as a red herring to obfuscate the issue and escape people's wrath in the process.

Notably, soon after three out of the four badagrahis claimed that only the Badagrahis who have touched the Brahma, Kashinath Das Mohapatra had rubbished the claim and had said nine Daitapatis, including him, had touched and had darshan of the Brahma.

On the other hand, resentment is fast brewing among the people of the state following contradicting opinions against one another expressed by Daitapatis over the Ghata Parivartan of the deities.