No theft of ‘modak' from Puri temple
'There was no theft of 'modak' from the temple as per the information given by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee,' the minister said on Tuesday.
As the controversy surfaced, Padhee ordered an inquiry by the SJTA officials which found that there was no theft of 'modak'.
A group of 'Vaidya sevak' (Ayurvedic doctors) supply 'modak' to the temple during the Lord's 'Anasar' period when it was believed that the deities fell ill. It is also believed that the deities get cured after having 'modak'.
The controversy began when Haladhar Das Mohapatra, the 'Badagrahi' (bodyguard) of Lord Balabhadra, claimed that 70 out of 313 'modaks' stored under tight security were missing. As the 'modak' was stolen, its sanctity was lost. He lodged a formal complaint with SJTA. Talking to reporters, Padhee also rejected the allegations of theft.
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