Latest news with #Daitapati
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rs 2.25 crore reward for Daitapatis for smooth conduct of Jagannath Rath Yatra
BHUBANESWAR/PURI: In a massive incentive, the Law department has approved Rs 2.25 crore for Daitapati servitors of the Shree Jagannath Temple if they ensure a smooth Rath Yatra. A proposal in this regard was sent by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) recently. In a letter to the Srimandir chief administrator, the department informed that the government has approved Rs 2.25 crore as a 'special reward' for Daita servitors for disciplined conduct during the annual festival of the Trinity. The money will be paid from the SJTA funds and replenished with the allotment of funds as special grants to the SJTA at the supplementary budget stage. Other servitors welcomed the incentives for Daitapatis and urged release of funds for all servitors who render services connected with the Rath Yatra. In another development, the I&PR department has decided to set up temporary information kiosks at various places in Puri to reach out to maximum number of devotees coming to the city for Rath Yatra. At a preparatory meeting on Thursday, principal secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said various programmes are being planned by the department for the upcoming Rath Yatra which includes folk art performances and live broadcasting of the festival. Meanwhile, DIG S Praveen Kumar informed that at least 70 platoons of police force along with four senior commandant rank police officers and 450 other officers will be deployed in Puri for the Snana Purnima on June 11. Addressing the press, the DIG said, 'Our primary aim is to bring discipline to the darshan of the deities, ensure the security of devotees, and regulate traffic.' Earlier in the day, the DIG discussed the security issue with Puri Superintendent of Police Vinit Kumar, and other senior officers of the district. The temple administration has also conducted a number of meetings with temple servitors and Daitapatis for the timely observance of daily rituals of the deities.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Odisha To Patent Words Linked To Jagannath Temple Amid Fight With Bengal
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has announced to secure trademark rights for various words and phrases that are associated with the Jagannath Temple in Puri amid an ongoing dispute over a newly-inaugurated temple in West Bengal. The West Bengal government's reference to the temple in Bigha as "Jagannath Dham", a term historically and scripturally reserved for the 12th-century temple in Puri, has met with strong objections from religious scholars, priests and politicians in Odisha. Arabinda Padhee, a Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) official, said on Monday that they will soon apply for patent terms like Mahaprasad (bhog), Srimandir (temple), Shree Jagannath Dham (place), Shreekshetra (place), and Purushottam Dham (place), among others. "This will help prevent misuse of the 12th century's original spiritual identity and unauthorised use of its sacred terminology," Mr Padhee, an IAS officer, told reporters. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the 'Jagannath Dham' on April 30. Ms Banerjee has defended the use of the name 'Jagannath Dham' and blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the controversy, describing it as 'jealousy'. "I have heard that the Daitapati has been questioned for coming to conduct the puja here. They have issued a notification asking them not to come to Jagannath Dham (in West Bengal). Why are they so irked? We all go to Puri. We never question. When I go to Puri, the BJP protests. Why so much jealousy over the Jagannath Dham? When you fall short of potatoes, Bengal supplies. I love Odisha," she said this month. Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan has said they are planning to take legal steps in the matter, calling it a case of 'title theft'. "The whole world and all the devotees of Lord Jagannath are condemning the cunning way of the title theft initiative. If things will not be resolved properly, we will take legal steps in a bid to protect the Jagannath culture. We are reviewing the matter," Mr Harichandan said. The temple at Digha has been built at a cost of Rs 250 crore and is a replica of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is recognized as one of the four dhams (holy places) in India.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Digha temple naming row puts Jagannath servitor conduct back in spotlight
Controversy throws light on servitors' conduct yet again BHUBANSESWAR: The recent suspension of Jagannath Temple's Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra in connection with the controversy surrounding Digha shrine's naming has once again highlighted the challenges faced by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in maintaining order and discipline among its servitors. The controversy represents just one instance in a series of incidents that have raised questions about servitors' conduct at this 12th century shrine. At the heart of Jagannath Temple's daily operations are about 2,200 servitors who maintain centuries-old traditions through their hereditary services. While some of them have services to offer daily, there are others who perform their sacred duty on some specific days in a year. Every day, nearly 80 servitors are required to perform around 20 rituals in the shrine and their remuneration ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 per day, depending on their specific duties on certain days and the frequency of their service. Despite their crucial role in preserving ancient traditions, the temple has faced recurring issues with servitors' conduct. Senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra, while acknowledging this reality, said, 'Not all sevayats are unruly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Ativar Agora] - Licença de antivírus para PC Clique aqui Undo Misconduct of a few of our colleagues has often tarnished the reputation of the entire community. Their conduct has improved over the years.' Day before Ramakrushna's media statement on Digha temple idols triggered outrage, SJTA on April 4 and 5 had organized a two-day training session for servitors focussing on maintaining discipline, appropriate behaviour, proper interaction with devotees, importance of timely ritual performance and preservation of temple dignity. Historical efforts to improve servitor conduct date back to 2006 when the shrine administration attempted to curtail behaviours such as the use of vulgar language and consumption of betel or gutka. 'Comprehensive guidelines outlining servitors' roles, responsibilities, conduct and obligations will be issued soon,' law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. SJTA's chief administrator Arabinda Padhee has taken a firm stance, declaring that no kind of indiscipline and misconduct will be tolerated.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BJP leader moves HC against plan for 100 civic volunteers at new Jagannath temple
Kolkata: Lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Koustav Bagchi has filed a petition in the Calcutta high court challenging the West Bengal government's decision to appoint 100 civic volunteers at the new Jagannath temple in Digha in West Bengal's east Midnapore district. The petition has called the proposed appointments illegal and politically motivated. 'Filed on Tuesday, the PIL will be heard by the division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das,' Bagchi said. The development comes against the backdrop of a political row between the BJP and West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the temple in Digha. On Sunday, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) at the Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri suspended Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, a senior Daitapati (servitor), prompting the TMC to allege that the servitor was only suspended because he participated in a ceremony to open the Jagannath temple in Bengal's Digha. Opposition parties in Bengal have been critical of the state government's practice of recruiting civic volunteers, who are required to have passed the Class 8 school examination to be eligible for the job, are often refer to them as 'cadres' of the state's ruling TMC. 'Civic volunteers are not authorised or eligible to independently maintain traffic and control crowd, particularly in sensitive areas like schools, hospitals and places of religious congregation. The designated role of civic volunteers, as recognised by law and precedent, is to provide assistance to police personnel when specifically called upon and not to function in lieu of trained police officers...' the petition said. HT has reviewed a copy of the plea. The petition said the recruitment notice violated Article 14 and 19 of the Constitution of India because it only permitted people who were permanent residents of Digha and Digha Mohana Coastal Police Station Areas to apply to join as civic volunteers at the new temple. 'This form of conduct in politics and government is widely known as the spoils system, in which a political party after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward or incentive to keep the party working...,' the petition added. Currently, more than 70,000 civic volunteers are employed, drawing a monthly salary of ₹9,000. Concerns have grown in recent years, with several civic volunteers being arrested on criminal charges. The most recent case involves Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer attached to the city police, who was convicted in the 2024 rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In March 2023, the Calcutta high court asked the government to issue a clear set of guidelines on duties to be performed by civic volunteers. In its order passed on May 23, 2023, the police directorate underlined that civic volunteers would only 'assist' police units deployed to manage traffic, tackle illegal parking, manage crowds during festivals and ensure public safety and could not 'be entrusted with any law enforcement duties'.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Time of India
Question raised over timing of Puri temple servitor's suspension
Bhubaneswar: Puri shrine administration's 30-day suspension of Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra over his alleged role in the Digha temple naming controversy has given rise to heartburn. The suspension, from May 11 to June 10, overlaps only briefly with the servitor's annual service period — June 9 to July 8 — effectively restricting him from just two days of active duty. "The suspension timeline makes no sense as Daitapati servitors do not have any assigned service to the deities during this period. Their annual seva begins with Debasnan Purnima, followed by Rath Yatra and Niladri Bije. This year, Debasnan Purnima falls on June 11, while Dasmohapatra's suspension ends on June 10," said Bibhuti Bhusan, a devotee from Puri."The servitor should have been suspended till the end of Rath Yatra, during which Daitapati servitors offer seva," wrote Ramanath Mishra on X. While Dasmohapatra could not be reached for his comment, SJTA officials defended their decision. "The servitor has been barred from entering the temple during the month-long suspension. He cannot perform his seva inside the temple on June 9 (Daitapati Prabesh) and June 10 (Senapata Lagi)," a senior SJTA official said. Some servitors supported the action. "Any harsher punishment would not have been appropriate," said Hajuri Ramakrushna Khuntia, a temple servitor.
