BHUBANESWAR: The Puri Jagannath temple kitchen where priests can prepare mahaprasad for 1 lakh worshippers everyday was vandalised with 40 special clay stoves damaged by miscreants, authorities said on Sunday, even as the incident sparked nationwide outrage.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said they found the clay stoves in its kitchen, the largest for any shrine in the country, broken after they opened the doors of the roshaghara early on Sunday morning.
File photo of the temple kitchen
“It is a very unfortunate incident. The SJTA’s administrator (rituals) and administrator (security) will conduct a joint probe to find out the circumstances that led to the unpleasant incident. Strict action will be taken against the culprits,” Puri district collector Samarth Verma told TOI after taking stock of the ransacked kitchen. The vandalised stoves alone catered to 15,000 devotees using firewood.
Only servitors belonging to the Suar Mahasuar Nijog (temple association) are authorised to cook the mahaprasad and their assistants are allowed access into the kitchen, spread over a 15,000 square feet area on the temple complex.
The kitchen is off limits to devotees and servitors of other nijogs of the temple, officials said, suggesting the incident occurred in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
Suspect guard's negligence: SJTA
SJTA said the damaged earthen stoves were repaired, but rituals of the deities were delayed due to the unsavoury incident, but added that preparation of mahaprasad for the deities and devotees went on without any further hitch.
"We woke up in shock while entering the kitchen on Sunday morning. The damaged stoves, included the one used for preparation of bhog for the deities every day. It is too early to jump to a conclusion on who ransacked the stoves. Let the temple administration complete the investigation. Whoever, including our nijog members, if found guilty, should be punished," Narayan Mahasuar, president of the Suar Mahasuar Nijog said.
While the temple records show 240 earthen clay stoves exist in the kitchen, Mahasuar claimed the numbers would be about 720.
"I know not less than 300 stoves have been broken," Mahasuar claimed.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that while the temple complex is covered under the CCTV cameras, not a single camera has been installed near the kitchen.
The SJTA said the kitchen is always guarded by its employees.
"We strongly suspect the incident occurred after completion of the daily rituals on Saturday. The guard is being questioned. His negligence might have resulted in the incident," a senior SJTA officer said.
