Bhubaneswar: The authorities of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) have issued show-cause notices to three servitors in connection with the delay in rituals at the Shree Jagannath Temple on February 28.
SJTA Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee on Wednesday served the notices to Ramkrushna Khuntia, Madhab Khuntia and Madhusudan Khuntia, seeking explanations for alleged indiscipline. The three are accused of preventing fellow servitors from carrying out scheduled rituals and reportedly misbehaving with temple officials on the day of the incident.
The temple administration has directed the trio to submit their replies within seven days.
Speaking on the matter, the Chief Administrator stated that while the majority of servitors perform their duties with sincerity and discipline, a small section has been creating disruptions. He asserted that indiscipline within the temple premises would not be tolerated and warned of strict action against those found responsible.
Rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were reportedly delayed for several hours on February 28 following a dispute linked to special privileges for VIP visitors at the shrine.
The disruption led to significant inconvenience for devotees, many of whom had to wait for over four hours to receive Mahaprasad, triggering widespread dissatisfaction among pilgrims present at the temple that day.
