Puri: Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb said the temple atmosphere is no longer that divine as it was once used to be.
He was speaking at the annual day celebration of ShreeJagannath Chetana Gabeshana Pratisthan here Sunday.
“Shree Jagannath consciousness originates from Shree Mandir or the Jagannath temple. If that culture and tradition do not exist in the Jagannath temple itself, it is a concern,” he said.
“Cleaning leaves will not work. We have to rather clean the root. And this root is the ShreeMandir,” He added.
Addressing the gathering, he said, “All of you are well aware of Jagannath culture. You should not sit idle. Rise up and give your suggestion and the Supreme Court will give importance to your suggestions,” he said.
Former Chief Justice of Odisha High Court A S Naidu, who was the chief speaker, said: “Our identity is our own Jagannath. Whatever steps are being taken, whether they are to bring changes in the temple administration or to streamline the devotees’ darshan of the Lord, they should be well planned with cooperation and coordination from all. In the flow of change, the Jagannath culture should not get changed.”
Paramahamsh Prajnananand Maharaj, who attended as the chief guest, spoke on the Jagannath culture, saying, “We are proud of our Jagannath culture and tradition. But what has been going on concerning the temple, none of us can say aloud that we are still feeling proud of our culture and tradition. The pious atmosphere of Shrrekshetra is fast deteriorating.”
PNN