Nabakalebara: Devotees flay Daitapatis

Rajkumar MohantyPuri, June 17: The devotees of Lord Jagannath have flayed the Daiatapatis and the temple administration for gross violations in the observance of Ghata Parivartan (transfer of Brahmas from the old idols to the new ones) considered as a grand ritual associated with the Nabakalebara of the deities which is being observed after nearly two decades.While many foresee this gross departure in the major ritual of the deities as a bad omen, others feel that it seems that a section of Daitapatis have been twisting the hands of the temple administration.As per Nabakalebara manual, the day was fixed for Chaturdashi (15th June) midnight and since long the temple administration had made elaborate preparations for this important ritual of the deities but in vain.Despite tall claims of the temple administration to conduct the ritual smoothly everything it appears have gone wrong putting the devotees in shock.Four Badagrahi Daitapatis (chief of the Daita clans) of four deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Sudarshan were entrusted by the temple administration to perform the transfer of Brahmas from the old idols to new ones in Chaturdashi midnight in secret.Chinks in the administration armour has been exposed as a section of Daitapatis forcefully prevented entry of the four Badagrahis from performing their duty. A senior Daitapati along with others demanded that a particular Daitapati should perform the Ghata Parivartan.The four empowered Badagrahis did not concede to the demand and this led to a tussle stalling the work for three hours.As a result, the Ghata Parivartan scheduled for Monday night was accomplished on the Tuesday afternoon (16th June).Haladhar Das Mahapatra, the Badagrahi of deity Sudarshan one of the four Daitapatis entrusted to perform Ghata Parivartan said he along with three other Badagrahis were obstructed by a section of other Daitas who demanded to take in a senior Daita along with them to perform the job and prevented their entry for nearly three hours.Haladhar is the chief of the Banajag team.Bijay Mahapatra, a senior Biswakarma engaged along with nine other Biswakarmas dismissed the allegation that they did not complete the carving of images in time.Mahapatra said a number of Daitas frequently interfered in the carving work by changing the wood and for that one day the work was stopped for three hours.This matter was intimated to the chief administrator, but he did precious little for smooth conduct of the work, Mahapatra said.The Gajapati is being targeted for delay in offering Purna Ahuti in the Maha Yajna.It is learnt that he came to the temple as soon as he was informed that the Yajna was heading for conclusion.He came to the temple by 2.40 am on Tuesday and returned at about 3 am after performing Purna Ahuti.Many senior servitors pointed out why the temple administration did not organise this 11-day-long Maha Yajna earlier so that it could have been concluded by Monday evening thus facilitating more time for the Daitas to perform their work.The Maha Yajna began on 3rd June.As per the Nabakalebara manual, the Daitas would initiate their work only after the Shrotriya Brahmins put Jibanyash (initiate life force) in the new idols before the Ghata Parivartan by the Daitapatis.The Jibanyash ceremony was completed by 4 am on Tuesday and the Brahma transfer was performed on the Tuesday afternoon.The temple gates were opened for devotees late in the Tuesday night and the daily chores of other deities in the temple complex began.The devotees burning the Dias at the Lions gate throughout the night were shocked to learn this.The Gajapati is yet to give his reactions on the controversy, while the Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth Swami Neeschalananda Saraswati, while on his way to Chandigarh from New Delhi told journalists that the Odisha Government, which had encouraged lawlessness in the temple, should free the temple from its clutches.Chief Administrator of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said if Haladhar Das Mahapatra informs this in writing to the temple administration then legal actions as per the law would be initiated against them.It is learnt the temple administration have convened an emergency meeting of Daitapatis tonight to record firsthand report on the issue.