Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3 (UDN): The first Monday of the holy month of Sawan witnessed an unusual disruption at the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar as a dispute between two groups of temple servitors led to the suspension of key morning rituals.
The disagreement, centered on the distribution of Sawan offerings made by devotees, resulted in the customary worship procedures being delayed. Although the temple remained open and Kanwariyas along with other devotees continued to offer holy water to Lord Lingaraj, several traditional rituals were not performed as scheduled.
According to members of the Badu Nijog, the temple doors were opened at around 3:00 a.m., and the Badu servitors completed their assigned responsibilities before waiting until 4:00 a.m. for the Puja Panda servitors to arrive. When no one turned up, they proceeded with the Abakasa ritual and opened the sanctum for devotees.
The Badu servitors said their demand for an equal share of the Sawan offerings dates back to 1991. They claimed that although the temple trust board had earlier supported their demand, legal proceedings initiated in 1995 prevented its implementation. Following a favourable court order in 2024, the trust board reportedly restored their share of the offerings.
They further alleged that the Puja Panda servitors stopped participating in temple rituals in protest against the decision. The Badu servitors maintained that the administration had already provided an honorarium of ₹3,000 to the Puja Panda servitors for their services and argued that any objections should have been raised during official discussions rather than by boycotting rituals.
The Puja Panda servitors, however, rejected these allegations. They said they had informed the Badu servitors that they would reach the temple by 6:00 a.m. and had requested them to wait before proceeding with the rituals.
According to the Puja Panda servitors, the dispute stems from the Badu servitors’ claim over the offerings made by devotees. While they opposed the arrangement, they insisted that the rituals should have been conducted jointly after their arrival.
The disagreement cast a shadow over one of the most significant days of the Sawan month, even as thousands of devotees continued to visit the temple for darshan and offer prayers to Lord Lingaraj. Temple authorities are expected to intervene to resolve the dispute and ensure the smooth conduct of rituals during the remaining Sawan observances.
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