Lingaraj Temple: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Jan 14: A dispute between two servitor groups at the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar has resulted in the stalling of important rituals for Lord Lingaraj during the Makar Sankranti festival.
According to temple traditions, the Mahasuara servitors are responsible for preparing the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ after Lord Lingaraj is taken to the Makar Mandap following the ‘Pushyabhiseka Sandhya Dhupa’ ritual. This offering is a key part of the Makar Sankranti celebrations. However, a dispute arose when the Badu servitors insisted on performing the ritual on Monday, despite it traditionally being the responsibility of the Mahasuara servitors.
This disagreement led to the suspension of all rituals at the temple since Monday evening. As a result, Lord Lingaraj remained seated at the Makar Mandap, with no rituals being performed after the Pushyabhiseka Sandhya Dhupa. The deity was not even taken back to the southern sanctum.
Despite the disruption, Kamalakanta Badu, secretary of the Badu Nijog, clarified that it would not be correct to say the Lord had been left hungry. Meanwhile, Biranchi Narayan Pati, secretary of the Sri Lingaraj Temple Brahmin Nijog, accused the Badu Nijog of creating disturbances and called for the temple administration to take immediate action to resolve the issue.
