Jagannath Temple's 83-year-old servitor killed after argument with neighbour
Bhubaneswar: An 83-year-old servitor of Jagannath Temple was found dead just outside his house in the temple town of Puri on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The temple servitor, identified by the police as Jagannath Dikshit, who worked as a Mahasuara of the temple. He was found with severe injuries to his head near his house in Gudiasahi, a little after 3pm, after he returned from the temple.
Police said they are scrutinising the CCTV footage showing Narayan Pattajoshi, a neighbour of Dikshit, allegedly throwing him on the road. People in the locality said an argument had taken place between Dikshit and Pattajoshi shortly before the assault. The accused is on the run.
Puri superintendent of police (SP) Vinit Agrawal said the murder appears to be a fallout of personal enmity. 'Preliminary probe suggests that the incident occurred due to past enmity and it will become clearer after further investigation. Efforts are on to apprehend the accused,' Agrawal said.
Diskhit was unmarried and lived alone.
The murder was reported hours after chief minister Mohan Majhi visited the temple town on the occasion of Snana Paurnima when the three deities - Lord Jagannath along with his sibling - Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadhra - are bathed in holy waters.
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BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking incident, an 83-year-old servitor was allegedly murdered in broad daylight in Puri when he was returning home from the Shree Jagannath Temple after completing rituals entrusted to him at the shrine on Wednesday. The entire pilgrim town was under thick blanket of security cover for Deva Snana Purnima rituals of the holy Trinity when the incident took place. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had visited the town earlier in the day. The deceased, Jagannath Dikshit (83) was a kothabhoga supakar (temple cook). He was returning after performing the seva in the 12th century shrine when he was allegedly attacked by Narayan Pattajoshi in Gudia Sahi area within Town police station limits at about 2 pm. Police sources said, an argument ensued between the duo following which the 49-year-old Pattajoshi reportedly smashed Dikshit's head against a wall leading to fatal injuries. The deceased even attempted to wipe away the blood stains from the wall before fleeing, said sources.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Jagannath Temple's 83-year-old servitor killed after argument with neighbour
Bhubaneswar: An 83-year-old servitor of Jagannath Temple was found dead just outside his house in the temple town of Puri on Wednesday afternoon, police said. The temple servitor, identified by the police as Jagannath Dikshit, who worked as a Mahasuara of the temple. He was found with severe injuries to his head near his house in Gudiasahi, a little after 3pm, after he returned from the temple. Police said they are scrutinising the CCTV footage showing Narayan Pattajoshi, a neighbour of Dikshit, allegedly throwing him on the road. People in the locality said an argument had taken place between Dikshit and Pattajoshi shortly before the assault. The accused is on the run. Puri superintendent of police (SP) Vinit Agrawal said the murder appears to be a fallout of personal enmity. 'Preliminary probe suggests that the incident occurred due to past enmity and it will become clearer after further investigation. Efforts are on to apprehend the accused,' Agrawal said. Diskhit was unmarried and lived alone. The murder was reported hours after chief minister Mohan Majhi visited the temple town on the occasion of Snana Paurnima when the three deities - Lord Jagannath along with his sibling - Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadhra - are bathed in holy waters.
Time of India
05-06-2025
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Govt plan to set up ‘digital hundi' for Puri temple devotees
Bhubaneswar: To provide devotees with a convenient way to make offerings to the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Odisha govt is set to modernize the donation process with the introduction of a 'digital hundi' system, a new online donation platform. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We intend to simplify the online donation system of the shrine and introduce digital hundi, which may be named Samarpan. This platform will ensure transparency and make it easier for devotees to contribute from anywhere in the world," a senior govt official told TOI. The electronics and information technology department, along with the law department, has been tasked with finalising the technical and legal framework for the system. "The digital platform will incorporate all necessary security features while maintaining the sanctity of the donation process. We expect this initiative to significantly increase the temple's donations and provide better accountability," the official added. The Jagannath Temple received a total of Rs 113.02 crore as donation in the last three financial years. In a written reply in the assembly on Dec 7, 2024, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said between 2021-22 and 2023-24, the temple received Rs 40.61 crore in donation boxes, Rs 59.79 crore through bank deposits and another Rs 12.60 crore through other sources. The highest donation of Rs 50.80 crore was received in 2022-23, Rs 44.90 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 17.31 crore in 2021-22. In 2023, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) partnered with a UPI service provider for online donation. The app included the temple among other religious sites for donations through its payment gateway. "Initial plans to install QR code scanners at various locations like hotels, railway stations and offices were dropped due to cybersecurity concerns and potential scanner tampering risks," a temple official said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The temple administration recently warned devotees about fraudsters offering online puja, donation and darshan services for US$ 60-80. The temple authorities also filed a police complaint at Singhadwar station regarding one of the websites.
