Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 22, 2015 : Stung by scathing criticism from different quarter over the inordinate delay in “Brahma Paribartan,” (transfer of soul substance from old idols to new ones) of the Lord Jagannath and other deities on June 15, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked four ministers to rush to Puri and ensure the smooth conduct of the ‘Rath Jatra’ festival on July 18.
For the last couple of days, there had been hue and cry in the state over deviation in conducting the ritual of ‘Brahma Paribartan’ of the Lords. The original schedule was to undertake Brahma Paribartan on midnight of June 15, but the secret ritual was held on June 16 in day-time due to fight among servitors.

Leading the charge, opposition Congress and BJP have come down heavily on the state government for the deviation of the age old tradition in the Brahma Paribartan ritual and non-completion of different works before the festival.

Meanwhile, four servitors of the Trinity accused to have created a ruckus during “Brahma Paribartan” have been asked to appear before Shri Jagannath Temple Admnistration [SJTA] to depose on the deviation from the age old practice of Ghata parivartan of the deities on June 16.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Pushpendra Singdeo, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi and Law Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo have been directed to expedite works of their concerned departments, said Pratap Keshari Deb, the spokesman of the ruling BJD and Chairman of Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB).

Though the four ministers were tight lipped about the new assignment, Deb said these ministers would go to Puri and ensure that facilities are in place much before the festival.

The CM also directed the Chief Secretary, G C Pati to make frequent visits to Puri to ensure speedy execution of infrastructure development projects for the festival.

The Secretaries of concerned departments have been asked to depute senior district level officials to oversee the execution of projects and the leave of all district level officials have been cancelled till the completion of rituals with Niladri Bije of the deities and Pati is only now authorized to sanction the leave, officials said.

The state government is expecting nearly half-a-million visitors during the famed Car Festival of Lord jagannath.

“We hope that 95 per cent of the infrastructural works will be completed by first week of July,” Deb said, adding, the state government has undertaken different woks in health, sanitation, drainage, drinking water, road communication while the Centre is expanding rail network to the holy town ahead of the festival.

SJTA on Sunday recorded statements of the four Badagrahi (body protectors of four idols in the shrine) priests while probing into the cause of delay in the Brahma paribartan ritual.
Four more servitors, including the Biswabasu and Bidyapati and Biswakarmas of the Banajaga Jatra team will also appear in the court of the Chief Administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra to reply to the show-cause notices served on them over the deviation of a thousand year old practice in changing the ‘Brahma Padarthan’.

The lawyers of the Holy Town on Monday now have joined the protest and demanded arrest of all those connected with the rituals including the Managing Committee of the SJTA for their ‘failure’ to conduct the ritual in time and deviating from thousand year old practice. The lawyers have given a call for bandh on June 27 and threatened to undertake a fast to protest the delay.

The Chhatisa Nijog – another body of servitors of the deities – condemned the incident while cautioning the SJTA against handing over of the donations collected for the free distribution of Mahaprasad on the Trayodasah of Ghata Parivartan of the deities.

The Chhatisa Nijog claimed that the Daitapaties have been staking a claim over the donations collected to feed nearly two lakh people on the Grand Road in Puri on the Trayodasah on June 27.