Puri: In a significant revelation, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb has said that any devotee touching of the deities — Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra – while they are being taken out of the temple during the Ratha Jatra, is against Jagannath Culture.
In an exclusive interview with Kalinga TV, Puri Gajapati said, “Touching deities during Ratha Jatra is against the Hindu scriptures and Sanatan Culture”.
“The Government of Odisha controls the functioning of Puri Jagannath Temple. If the Government gives it due priority, all the rituals will be conducted without any hassles,” he said.
“The administration must take adequate steps to restrain devotees from touching the deities in order to protect the rich Jagannath Culture,”the first servitor of Lod Jagannath said.
In a historic decision in 2014, the Orissa High Court had ruled that the state government must obey Puri seer Shankarachara Swami Nischalanand Saraswati’s ruling that no devotee should be allowed to touch the deities during Ratha Jatra.
Earlier in 2013, the Shankaracharya, after consulting scriptures, had ruled that no unauthorised person, including any devotee, Hindu or non-Hindu, has a right to climb the chariots and touch the deities.
Ms Kalinga