Shankaracharya demands white paper on Jagamohana repair of Odisha’s Sri Mandir

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Dec 25:

Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth Jagadguru Swami Nischalananda Saraswati today demanded a white paper on the status of Jagamohana-the prayer hall adjoining the sanctum santorum of the Sri Jagannath temple (Sri Mandir) in Odisha’s holy town Puri.

The spiritual leader demanded the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to come out with a white paper on the status of repair of the Jagamohana while speaking at the release of a religious book here.

He said that the religious traditions and practices of Sri Mandir should not be tampered with and there should be transparency in its affairs while adding that some people have turned the temple into a business enterprise.

Expressing deep anguish over the Sri Mandir affairs, the Hindu seer anguish said that he was not consulted with during the last Nabakalebara of Lord Jagannath.

The Shankaracharya complained that the incumbent state government was sidelining him in the temple affairs.

In his reactions on the Shankaracharya’s statement, Chief Administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Suresh Chandra Mohapatra clarified that there is absolutely no need to take the opinion of the Shankaracharya in matter concerning the repair of the Jagamohana.

Further clarifying on the Shankaracharya’s allegations of not being consulted in the Brahma parivartan issue during the last Nabakalebara, Mohapatra said that there were also earlier instances of Bramha parivartan of the Lords having been done after daybreak.

“If the Shankaracharya’s opinion was not taken then why should it be taken now?”  Mohapatra asked.