Sonepur: Nine years have passed since the Puri king Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb laid the foundation stone for the proposed Jagannath temple atop Chhalia hills at Patali Srikshetra, about 20 kilometres from here. However, work on the proposed temple got stuck due to red tape and except for setting up a foundation stone plaque there has been no work on the premises.
The hills at Kotasomalai village had been the abode for Lord Jagannath for nearly 144 years. In order to save the Trinity from the attacks of Kalapahad and Raktabahu, the idols of the deities in Puri temple were hidden in a cave here.
A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State Archaeology Department, Jagannath cult researchers and Puri Jagannath Temple servitors led by the then temple administrator Suresh Mohapatra visited the place in 2007. They concluded that a cave of Trikuta hills had been the abode of Lord Jagannath for 144 years. Subsequently, the Puri Temple administration granted ‘Patali Srikshetra’ status to Kotasomalai village.
Subsequently, Patali Srikshetra Action Committee built a small temple atop the hill and installed the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan provided by the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in 2011.
The local people’s hope of getting a Jagannath temple rekindled after Puri king Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb laid foundation stone for it, July 5, 2012.
Subsequently a technical team from the Puri Jagannath Temple visited the area to identify places for the construction of main temple and it’s Jagamohan. In order to construct the temple, the SJTA also roped in sculptor late Raghunath Mohapatra.
As per estimate prepared by Mohapatra, the project would have cost Rs1,34,31,200 to Rs3,98,34,600 for stone carving, Rs91,28,000 for Jagamohan construction, Rs71,38,400 for Nata Mandap construction, Rs27,63,000 for the construction of temples for Goddesses Laxmi and Bimala.
The plan was tabled at the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee meeting held at the SJTA’s conference hall, May 8, 2014. The committee requested the state government to bear the construction cost.
The Subarnapur district Culture department received a letter from the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (No. 6241/2/2014 dated 02.06.2014), informing the district Collector about steps to be taken for the construction of the proposed Jagannath temple at ‘Patali Shrikshetra’.
In response to the letter, the district administration wrote a letter (No. 7452/15.09.2014) to the Commissioner, state Tourism and Culture department, informing him about the place identified for temple construction and urging him to approve the budget worth Rs4crore for the temple construction. But the district administration is yet to receive any response in this regard from the department.
The delay in construction the Jagannath temple at ‘Patali Srikshetra’ has only intensified the dissatisfaction among the people.
At ‘Patali Srikshetra’, the Rath Yatra is observed with following all the rituals that are followed in Puri Jagannath Temple. The festival is observed at the foot of the Chhalia hill and thousands of devotees gather to have a glimpse of Lord Jagannath and his siblings. A visit to witness the festival here is said to be incomplete if one misses the ‘Pahandi’ ritual. Witnessing servitors carrying deities from the hilltop to the foot of the hill covering a distance of 50 metres amidst beautiful natural settings gives a divine feeling. Like Baripada in Mayurbhanj district and some other places, here too the chariot of Devi Subhadra, Deba Dalan, is pulled only by female devotees only. However, due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the festival has not been observed here for two years now. Like last year, this year too, the chariots were constructed, hoping to get the nod to observe the festival.