Puri: Impasse over Banakalagi ritual continues as meeting ends without consensus

Puri: The long impasse over Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath at Puri Srimandir still continues as the temple administration and servitors failed to reach a consensus at a meeting held here today.

Srimandir Niti sub-committee meeting on Banakalagi Niti ended without consensus today. The decision on conducting the important ritual on Wednesday is expected to be finanlised at Managing Committee meeting scheduled on August 1, informed Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das after the meeting.

However, the servitors have been appealed to conduct the Banakalagi Niti of Lord Jagannath on Wednesday, which is customary, he said.

It has been 27 days that Banakalagi ritual of deities has not be performed since Niladri Bije.

There has been a deadlock at the Jagannath Temple after dispute between temple administration and Dutta Mohapatra servitors over conducting the Banakalagi ritual on a particular day.

While the SJTA has fixed Wednesday to hold the Banakalagi Niti of deities at Srimandir, the Dutta Mohapatra Nijog has been pressing hard to carry out the ritual on Thursday.

As the temple administration did not agree to their demand, the servitors created logjam by not supporting the SJTA on its decision.