Latest news with #ShreeJagannathTempleAct
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Cops catch resident using spy camera in Puri temple
Bhubaneswar: Puri police on Tuesday launched an investigation after a local was found capturing footage of deities inside the Jagannath Temple, using a spy camera. Use of mobile phones and cameras on the premises of the 12th century shrine is strictly prohibited. Some police personnel first spotted Abhijit Kar using his mobile phone during early morning 'Mangala Alati' ritual. Upon verification, they found footage of the shrine's interior on his phone. Following this, Kar was taken to Singhadwar police station for interrogation, where he admitted to recording footage through a spy camera concealed within the frame of his spectacles. Police removed the recorded content from his mobile phone and released him after securing a written undertaking. Temple servitors criticised the police's lenient approach. "On March 15, police authorities arrested a West Bengal tourist for photographing the deities with a spy camera. However, no action was taken in this case. These incidents occur frequently. We require stringent legislation to address the issue," said servitor Shyama Mahapatra, adding, "The latest incident reflects poor security checking at the temple entrance as the suspect's mobile phone could not be detected by cops. " The Bengal tourist had faced charges under BNS for deliberately committing acts that hurt religious sentiments. He was also booked under Section 30 A (4) (C) of Shree Jagannath Temple Act, which bars cameras in the temple. The Temple Act stipulates up to two months of imprisonment and a Rs 1,000 penalty for violations.
New Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BJD demands judicial probe into Rath Yatra ‘mess', stampede deaths
BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Friday demanded a judicial probe, monitored by a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court, into the mismanagement of Rath Yatra which led to the stampede near Gundicha temple and death of three devotees on June 29. In a memorandum submitted to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, a delegation of senior party leaders said the administrative inquiry ordered by development commissioner Anu Garg was grossly inadequate and not commensurate with the seriousness of the tragedy. They alleged that the Rath Yatra this year was marked by gross mismanagement in conduct of rituals as a result of which Nandighosha, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, could not be pulled till 7.45 pm. The BJD leaders also demanded constitution of the managing committee of Shree Jagannath temple without further delay. 'The temple has been functioning without the statutory managing committee (MC) for the past eight months, disrupting key administrative and policy decisions. As mandated under the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, the MC is crucial for approving matters related to rituals, finance and temple management. Its absence has led to the mess and chaos,' they said. They also brought to the Governor's notice the severe traffic and crowd mismanagement during Rath Yatra and alleged that distribution of over 10,000 cordon passes by the ruling BJP to its supporters was the major cause behind the disruption. They urged the Governor to personally intervene and ensure that the remaining rituals of Rath Yatra are conducted smoothly.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC notice to SJTA chief over Puri temple ritual
Cuttack: The Orissa high court on Wednesday issued notice to the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in response to a petition filed by Santosh Kumar Patra and seven others, challenging the recent inclusion of two individuals in the sacred 'patabola seva' — a ritual service traditionally reserved for hereditary sevaks of the Puri Jagannath Temple. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The petitioners, who claim to be patara bishoyi sevaks and direct descendants of the original Record of Rights (ROR) holders, argued that the June 12, 2025 order issued by the chief administrator permitting two non-descendants to perform the patabola seva was 'arbitrary and unlawful'. Through their counsel advocate Avijit Patnaik, the petitioners contended that the patabola seva is a sacred and confidential religious duty, the knowledge of which is passed down exclusively through hereditary lines. They alleged that including outsiders not recorded as sevaks in the ROR violates Section 21(2)(1) of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The service is not only religious but carries deep cultural and traditional significance, known only to those who have inherited it through generations, advocate Patnaik argued. While hearing the matter, Justice R K Pattanaik said, "Considering the facts pleaded on record and the plea advanced by the petitioners, the court is inclined to have the response of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration in particular." The court directed the SJTA to file its reply and listed the matter for further hearing on June 25. In an interim order, Justice Pattanaik also directed the temple administration to consider excluding the two newly appointed individuals from participating in the ongoing patabola seva, ensuring that the service continues undisrupted in the meantime.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri without governing body for 8 months
The Jagannath Temple in Puri has been without its managing committee for eight months, impacting key decisions on the 2025-26 budget BHUBANESWAR: The Jagannath Temple in Puri has been functioning without its governing body for the last eight months, impacting the shrine's administration. The principal decision-making body, an 18-member managing committee (MC) tasked with policy decisions, completed its three-year term on Sept 3, 2024. After implementing the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1954, the Odisha govt assigned the temple's daily administration to the statutory MC to ensure proper preservation and enhanced management of the temple. According to the Act, the MC must approve all decisions, from rituals to financial matters, before implementation by the govt in this 12th century shrine. Despite a senior IAS officer (chief administrator) and other govt officials overseeing the temple's daily administrative operations, the MC's absence has led to several pending crucial decisions regarding the shrine. About 10 key proposals remain unresolved, with significant ones, including the 2025-26 budget, new darshan system, and repositioning of the temple Hundi. "The temple currently operates on an interim budget, as the 2025-26 budget awaits approval due to the committee's absence," a senior temple official said. The proposed queue darshan system's implementation faces delays pending MC approval. The new system includes a six-lane ramp within wooden collapsible barricades at Natamandap, opposite the sanctum sanctorum, designed to facilitate organised darshan. It provides separate paths for men, women, and senior citizens, with plans to include differently-abled devotees. "With the Rath Yatra approaching on June 27, the MC's absence could create additional challenges. Traditionally, the MC finalises the rituals, arrangements, and guidelines for Rath Yatra annually," the official said. The shrine authorities said that while the chief administrator is currently exercising his extraordinary power under the Temple Act and handling daily management decisions, these must require subsequent post facto approval once the MC is established. "If the MC formation doesn't take place before Rath Yatra, the chief administrator will have to make decisions and obtain post facto approval later. However, he cannot take decisions involving major proposals and controversial matters," he said. Collector (Puri) and temple's deputy chief administrator Siddharth Shankar Swain said, "Due official process already started for formation of the managing committee. It is the govt's discretion to finalise the members of the committee." Recently, law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan told journalists: "The govt is aware of the matter and will soon constitute the temple managing committee."
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Bid to encroach Puri temple land won't be tolerated: SJTA
Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has said it would protect the property of the 12th-century shrine and asserted that any move to encroach temple land would not be tolerated. The SJTA, in a statement, said it would computerise land records of the temple and protect them as per the Uniform Policy of the State government and the provisions of the Shri Janganath Temple Act, 1955. The comments from the SJTA came after the Orissa High Court, in a recent judgment, stressed the need for seamless coordination and timely communication between the State's Law department and the temple authorities in all matters related to the alienation, lease or mutation of temple land. The temple in Puri is governed by the Law department under the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. The judgment was in connection with a case related to 15 acres of 'disputed' land belonging to Puri Jagannath temple, located in Jatni's Kantia Mouza in Khurda district. Odisha's Advocate General Pitambar Acharya argued in favour of the temple, and SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee also appeared in the court to defend the interests of the shrine. The court, in its order, has made it clear that no sanction or approval regarding temple land transactions would be considered valid, unless it strictly adheres to statutory requirements. These requirements include prior recommendations from competent land committees and valuation by the district sub-registrar, as mandated by law. The court also observed that substantial tracts of land endowed to Lord Jagannath, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, have been lost from the effective control ofthe temple administration due to flawed alienations of immovable property. Therefore, the High Court directed the revenue and land records authorities to take immediate action to correct entries related to properties held in the name of Lord Jagannath. The court has also asked the State government to review the existing provisions and procedural mechanisms under the SJTA to address significant loopholes that have facilitated unauthorised alienation and mutation of temple properties. 'In this case, the court has given orders to manage the land property of the temple in the coming days. The court order will be a guideline for the SJTA and will be followed strictly. The SJTA is committed to protecting the temple land,' Padhee said. Official sources said a total of 60,426.943 acres of land is in the name of Shree Jagannath temple, and these land parcels are located in 24 of the 30 districts of Odisha. Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has received the final record of rights over 38,061.892 acres of land. Besides, 395.252 acres of the temple land have been identified in six other States. A total of 169.86 acres of land, belonging to the Puri Jagannath temple remained encroached in Cuttack, Puri, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Khurda, Balasore and Jajpur. As many as 974 cases have been lodged in different tehsils of the State to remove encroachments.
