Bhubaneswar, 05 March (H.S.): The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued show-cause notices to three servitors following a delay in rituals at the Shree Jagannath Temple on February 28.

SJTA Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee served notices to Ramkrushna Khuntia, Madhab Khuntia, and Madhusudan Khuntia, seeking explanations over alleged indiscipline during the incident. The servitors have been accused of obstructing fellow servitors from performing scheduled rituals and reportedly misbehaving with temple officials on the day.

The temple administration has directed the three individuals to submit their responses within seven days.

Commenting on the issue, the Chief Administrator stated that while the majority of servitors carry out their duties with dedication and discipline, a small section has been causing disruptions. He emphasized that indiscipline within the temple premises will not be tolerated and warned that strict action will be taken against those found responsible.

According to reports, the rituals of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra were delayed for several hours on February 28 following a dispute reportedly linked to special privileges extended to VIP visitors at the shrine.

The disruption caused significant inconvenience to devotees, many of whom reportedly had to wait for more than four hours to receive Mahaprasad, leading to widespread dissatisfaction among pilgrims present at the temple that day.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda