Puri temple admn suspends servitor for ‘role' in Digha shrine row
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Bhubaneswar/Puri:
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration
(SJTA) on Sunday suspended Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra for 30 days, barring his entry to the temple during the period for his role in the controversy surrounding Digha Jagannath temple's naming as 'Jagannath Dham'.Dasmohapatra, who is currently the secretary of Puri temple's Daitapati Nijog (a prominent association of servitors), faced disciplinary action for two specific violations — his false claim regarding the use of surplus neem wood from Puri temple's Nabakalebara ritual to create idols for the Digha shrine, and staying silent about the naming of the temple as 'Jagannath Dham' while attending its consecration ceremony on April 30.
The suspension followed after he failed to give satisfactory answers to two show-cause notices. "Temple chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee suspended the senior servitor from his duties for one month. During this suspension period, Dasmohapatra is prohibited from participating in any service or rituals, and is not allowed to enter the temple," SJTA said in a statement.The order stipulates that Dasmohapatra must not influence or intimidate other servitors or interfere with temple services and rituals. Any violation could result in extended suspension and stricter penalties, the notice stated. The temple commander and senior supervisor will monitor and report his behaviour to the chief administrator."The administration reserves the right to cancel or withhold Dasmohapatra's dues and rewards if any misconduct is observed during or after the suspension period," the order read.Despite repeated attempts, Dasmohapatra could not be contacted for his comment. On May 4, SJTA had asked Dasmohapatra to explain within seven days his controversial media statement about facilitating idol creation for the Digha temple using surplus neem wood from the Puri shrine. His statement had caused a stir, leading to a govt investigation that subsequently disproved his claim.On May 9, he was issued with a fresh notice and asked to explain within 48 hours whether he had expressed his opposition to naming the Digha shrine as 'Jagannath Dham' while attending its consecration ceremony."We found his replies unsatisfactory and took disciplinary action following the Shri Jagannath Temple Act of 1955," a temple official said.According to Padhee, "This action has been taken to maintain discipline in the temple. It is everyone's duty to uphold the temple's traditions and dignity without pride or arrogance. Every servitor should be dedicated to Lord Jagannath. There will be zero tolerance to misconduct."
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