Latest news with #ShreeJagannathTempleAct
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri without governing body for 8 months
The Jagannath Temple in Puri has been without its managing committee for eight months, impacting key decisions on the 2025-26 budget BHUBANESWAR: The Jagannath Temple in Puri has been functioning without its governing body for the last eight months, impacting the shrine's administration. The principal decision-making body, an 18-member managing committee (MC) tasked with policy decisions, completed its three-year term on Sept 3, 2024. After implementing the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, the Odisha govt assigned the temple's daily administration to the statutory MC to ensure proper preservation and enhanced management of the temple. According to the Act, the MC must approve all decisions, from rituals to financial matters, before implementation by the govt in this 12th century shrine. Despite a senior IAS officer (chief administrator) and other govt officials overseeing the temple's daily administrative operations, the MC's absence has led to several pending crucial decisions regarding the shrine. About 10 key proposals remain unresolved, with significant ones, including the 2025-26 budget, new darshan system, and repositioning of the temple Hundi. "The temple currently operates on an interim budget, as the 2025-26 budget awaits approval due to the committee's absence," a senior temple official said. The proposed queue darshan system's implementation faces delays pending MC approval. The new system includes a six-lane ramp within wooden collapsible barricades at Natamandap, opposite the sanctum sanctorum, designed to facilitate organised darshan. It provides separate paths for men, women, and senior citizens, with plans to include differently-abled devotees. "With the Rath Yatra approaching on June 27, the MC's absence could create additional challenges. Traditionally, the MC finalises the rituals, arrangements, and guidelines for Rath Yatra annually," the official said. The shrine authorities said that while the chief administrator is currently exercising his extraordinary power under the Temple Act and handling daily management decisions, these must require subsequent post facto approval once the MC is established. "If the MC formation doesn't take place before Rath Yatra, the chief administrator will have to make decisions and obtain post facto approval later. However, he cannot take decisions involving major proposals and controversial matters," he said. Collector (Puri) and temple's deputy chief administrator Siddharth Shankar Swain said, "Due official process already started for formation of the managing committee. It is the govt's discretion to finalise the members of the committee." Recently, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan told journalists: "The govt is aware of the matter and will soon constitute the temple managing committee."
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Bid to encroach Puri temple land won't be tolerated: SJTA
Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has said it would protect the property of the 12th-century shrine and asserted that any move to encroach temple land would not be tolerated. The SJTA, in a statement, said it would computerise land records of the temple and protect them as per the Uniform Policy of the State government and the provisions of the Shri Janganath Temple Act, 1955. The comments from the SJTA came after the Orissa High Court, in a recent judgment, stressed the need for seamless coordination and timely communication between the State's Law department and the temple authorities in all matters related to the alienation, lease or mutation of temple land. The temple in Puri is governed by the Law department under the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The judgment was in connection with a case related to 15 acres of 'disputed' land belonging to Puri Jagannath temple, located in Jatni's Kantia Mouza in Khurda district. Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya argued in favour of the temple, and SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee also appeared in the court to defend the interests of the shrine. The court, in its order, has made it clear that no sanction or approval regarding temple land transactions would be considered valid, unless it strictly adheres to statutory requirements. These requirements include prior recommendations from competent land committees and valuation by the district sub-registrar, as mandated by law. The court also observed that substantial tracts of land endowed to Lord Jagannath, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, have been lost from the effective control ofthe temple administration due to flawed alienations of immovable property. Therefore, the High Court directed the revenue and land records authorities to take immediate action to correct entries related to properties held in the name of Lord Jagannath. The court has also asked the State government to review the existing provisions and procedural mechanisms under the SJTA to address significant loopholes that have facilitated unauthorised alienation and mutation of temple properties. 'In this case, the court has given orders to manage the land property of the temple in the coming days. The court order will be a guideline for the SJTA and will be followed strictly. The SJTA is committed to protecting the temple land,' Padhee said. Official sources said a total of 60,426.943 acres of land is in the name of Shree Jagannath temple, and these land parcels are located in 24 of the 30 districts of Odisha. Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has received the final record of rights over 38,061.892 acres of land. Besides, 395.252 acres of the temple land have been identified in six other States. A total of 169.86 acres of land, belonging to the Puri Jagannath temple remained encroached in Cuttack, Puri, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Khurda, Balasore and Jajpur. As many as 974 cases have been lodged in different tehsils of the State to remove encroachments.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Attempts to encroach Puri Jagannath temple land will not be tolerated: Shrine authorities
Bhubaneswar, The Jagannath temple administration in Odisha's Puri has said it would protect the property of the 12th-century shrine and asserted that any move to encroach temple land would not be tolerated. The SJTA, in a statement, said that it would computerise land records of the temple and protect them as per the Uniform Policy of the state government and the provisions of the Shri Janganath Temple Act, 1955. The comments from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration , Puri, come after the Orissa High Court, in a recent judgment, stressed the need for seamless coordination and timely communication between the state's Law Department and the temple authorities in all matters related to the alienation, lease, or mutation of temple land. The temple in Puri is governed by the Law Department under the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The judgment was in connection with a case related to 15 acres of "disputed" land belonging to Puri Jagannath Temple, located in Jatani's Kantia Mouza in Khurda district. Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya argued in favour of the temple, and SJTA chief administrator Arvind Padhee also appeared in the court to defend the interests of the shrine. The court, in its order, has made it clear that no sanction or approval regarding temple land transactions would be considered valid, unless it strictly adheres to statutory requirements. These requirements include prior recommendations from competent land committees and valuation by the district sub-registrar, as mandated by law. The court also observed that substantial tracts of land endowed to Lord Jagannath, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, have been lost from the effective control of the temple administration due to flawed alienations of immovable property. Therefore, the high court directed the revenue and land records authorities to take immediate action to correct entries related to properties held in the name of Lord Jagannath. The court has also asked the state government to review the existing provisions and procedural mechanisms under the SJTA to address significant loopholes that have facilitated unauthorised alienation and mutation of temple properties. 'In this case, the court has given orders to manage the land property of the temple in the coming days. The court order will be a guideline for the SJTA and will be followed strictly. The SJTA is committed to protecting the temple land,' Padhee said. Official sources said that a total of 60,426.943 acres of land is in the name of Shree Jagannath Temple, and these land parcels are located in 24 of the 30 districts of Odisha. Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has received the final record of rights over 38,061.892 acres of land, they said. Besides, 395.252 acres of the temple land have been identified in six other states. A total of 169.86 acres of land, belonging to the Jagannath temple, Puri, remained encroached in Odisha's Cuttack, Puri, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Khurda, Balasore and Jajpur. As many as 974 cases have been lodged in different tehsils of the state to remove encroachments.
New Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Dasmohapatra gets second SJTA show cause notice
BHUBANESWAR: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued a second show cause notice to Srimandir Daitapati Nijog secretary Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra over his participation in inauguration of Jagannath temple at Digha despite being aware that it is being called Jagannath Dham. The SJTA has given Dasmohapatra two days to submit a satisfactory explanation failing which action will be taken against him as per the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The notice states that the Digha temple authorities used the name Jagannath Dham - Digha and a signboard Jagannath Dham was displayed outside the temple. 'As a senior Daitapati servitor of Srimandir, Dasmohapatra was aware of this and his participation in the consecration ceremony of 'Jagannath Dham' at Digha has led to confusion among the devotees about the traditions of Shree Jagannath temple at Puri. Besides, it has hurt the religious sentiments of countless Shree Jagannath devotees,' the notice read. The SJTA demanded an explanation as to why he as a senior servitor of Srimandir participated in the inauguration of a temple that goes by the name Jagannath Dham, and if he raised any protest against such naming with the organisers during the inauguration ceremony. Earlier this week, the SJTA had issued a show cause notice to him over his statement on the use of surplus sacred Nabakalebara wood of the 12th-century shrine in crafting idols of the Digha temple. He was asked to give his reply within seven days from May 4.
