Odisha Chief Secy writes Union Culture Secretary to withdraw NMA Bylaws for Ekamra Kshetra temples

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on Monday wrote to Union Culture Secretary Raghvendra Singh and urged to withdraw the National Monuments Authority (NMA) drafted Bylaws for Ananta Basudev temple and Brahmeswar temple of Ekamra Kshetra in Bhubaneswar.

“There have been frequent agitations regarding the non-withdrawal of these drafts notifications and there is serious apprehension that this will lead to widespread agitation and disturb the day to day religious rituals in the temples,” Mohapatra wrote in the letter.

“This kind of atmosphere in temples is bound to hurt the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees,” the letter also said.

“It is also suggested that NMA may have a stakeholder consultation including sevayats, temple administration and the State Government, on these sensitive temple matters where the living deity and rituals are interlinked,” Mahapatra also wrote in the letter.