Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Wednesday suspended a servitor of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri over alleged indiscipline during the performance of the Banaka Lagi ritual, a day ahead of the annual Rath Yatra.
SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee placed servitor Rasmi Ranjan Datta Mahapatra under suspension with immediate effect after receiving a report from the temple Commander regarding the incident. The suspension will remain in force until further orders.
According to the administration, the disciplinary action was taken after the servitor allegedly created a disturbance during the Banaka Lagi ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra inside the temple premises.
Reports said the servitor allegedly misbehaved with the temple Commander and attempted to assault him while the ritual was in progress on Wednesday.
Following the incident, the SJTA, with assistance from the police, removed the accused servitor from the temple premises to prevent any disruption to the ongoing rituals and ensure the smooth conduct of temple proceedings ahead of the Rath Yatra.
The action comes at a crucial time as the temple administration is making elaborate arrangements for the annual chariot festival, one of the state’s largest religious events, scheduled to be held on Thursday.
