Devotees Flay Daitapatis For Delay In Transformation Of Brahmas Of Lords

18 June,Puri

The devotees and Jagannath lovers have flayed the role of Daiatapatis and the temple administration for gross violations in the observance of Ghata Paribartan(transfer of Brahmas from the old idols to the new ones).

The transfer of Brahmas is considered as a grand ritual of the deities which is being observed after nearly two decades.

While many foresee this gross departure in the majorritual of the deities as a bad omen others feel that it seems that a section of Daitapatis have been twisting the hands of the temple administration.

As per nabakalebar manual the day was fixed for Chaturdashi (15th June) midnight and since long the temple administration had made elaborate preparations for this importantritual of the deities but in vain.

Despite tall claims of the temple administration to conduct the ritual smoothly every thing it appears have gone wrong putting the devotees in shock.

Four Badagrahi Daitapatis (chief of the Diata clans) of four deities Lord Jagannath, Balabahdra, Devi Subhadra and Sudarshan were entrusted by the temple administrationto perform the transfer of Brahmas from the old idols to new ones in Chaturdashi midnight in secret.

Chinks in the administration armour has been exposed as a section of Daitapatis forcefully prevented entry of the four Badagrahis from performing their duty.

A senior Daitapati along with others demanded that a particular Daitapati to perform the Ghataparibartan.

The four empowered Badagrahis did not concede to this demand and this led to a tussle stalling the work for three hours.

As a result the Ghata parivartan scheduled for Monday night was accomplished on the Tuesday afternoon.

Haladhar Das Mahapatra, the Badagrahi of deity Sudarshan one of the four Daitapatis entrusted to perform Ghataparivartan said he along with three other Badagrahis wereobstructed by a section of other Daitas who demanded to take in a senior Daita along with them to perform the job and prevented their entry for nearly three hours.

Haladhar is the chief of the banajag team.

Bijay Mahapatra, a senior Biswakarma engaged along with nine other Biswakarmas dismissed allegation that they did not complete the carving of idols in time.

He said anumber of Daitas frequently interfered in the carving work by changing the wood and for that one day the work was stopped for three hours.

This matter was intimated to thechief administrator but he did precious little for smooth conduct of the work Mahapatra said.