Banakalagi controversy arises again, niti subcommittee meeting today

Puri: The dispute over the Banakalagi niti in the temple might be resolved today. The niti subcommittee meeting is scheduled to be held today.

Much awaited important discussions are scheduled to be held today. It has been a long time since Jagannath’s Banakalagi niti has been done. But unfortunately, the Datta Mahapatra Sevayat and the administration of Srimandir are refusing to relent on their dates relating to the ritual.

The Dutta Mohapatra Nijoga had agreed to carry out the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath on Thursday, whereas the Srimandir Commander had refused.

The administration of Srimandir has repeatedly ordered the Dutta Mahapatra nijoga to do the Banakalagi ritual on Wednesday, whereas the Dutta Mahapatra sevayats insist on doing it on Thursday.

It is worth noting that it has been mentioned in the Bamadev Samhita and Record of Rights that the Banakalagi ritual of Lord Jagannath should be held on Wednesdays.

However it is noteworthy that since six years, the Datta Mahapatra Nijoga has been insisting on conducting the Bankalagi rituals on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Hence the said show cause notice has been issued.

The show cause had been issued to the Dutta Mahapatra nijoga under the Srimandir Laws Section 20 and Section 30, said reports.

On the other hand, regarding the notice, Sanjay Dashmahapatra a member of the Datta Mohapatra Nijoga had said that the Banaka Lagi rituals shall be done on the basis of the ‘satwalipi’. The government should go by the ‘satwalipi’ or remove it, he had also added.

It is also worth mentioning that since Niladri bije, the Banka Lagi rituals or Shrimukh Sringara ritual has not been done.