Puri: Though the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided not to divulge anything on the Ghata Paribartan fiasco of 2015, some new information on the issue has since come to the fore.
As per a letter written to a servitor by then SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Ghata Paribartan, the most secret ritual of Nabakalebara festival, was performed in broad daylight June 16, 2015 whereas it was scheduled to be performed during the midnight of June 15, 2015.
It is learnt that the newly-constructed idols were brought to the Anasara Gruha from Koili Baikuntha in Pahandi procession by 8 am June 16. As per the original schedule, the idols should have been brought to the Anasara Gruha during the night of June 15.
On the other hand, a dispute among Daita servitors to witness the Ghata Paribartan ritual had delayed the process by a couple of hours. Consequently, the secret ritual was performed only around the noon of June 16.
Some Daita servitors claimed that Ghata Paribartan ritual was delayed as carpenters could not construct the idols in time. They argued that the carpenters got only nine days to construct the idols against the usual practice of allocating 10 days for the task.
However, many observers and religious scholars have rejected the argument. According to them, Daita servitors and carpenters were quite aware that they would get nine days for constructing the chariots. But, no step was taken to expedite the process.
It is worth mentioning here that the SJTA has recently served notices on 10 servitors in connection with the Ghata Paribartan fiasco. The notices were served as per Section 21 (A) of Srimandir Act-1955.
The temple administration had earlier decided not to make public the probe report on Ghata Paribartan fiasco. The probe report has also been kept out of the RTI ambit.
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Secret ritual
Ghata Paribartan is the most secret ritual of Nabakalebara festival. Four Daita servitors, known as Badagrahis, shift the Brahma (souls) from the old idols to the new ones in the darkness of night. Immediately after the shifting of souls, the old idols are buried at Koili Baikuntha on the Srimandir premises.