Odisha: Devotees Resent High Prices Of Mahaprasad In Holy Month Of Kartika
Odisha: Devotees Resent High Prices Of Mahaprasad In Holy Month Of Kartika
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Puri: During the holy month of Kartika, resentment is growing among devotees in the pilgrimage centre of Puri, Odisha, over the exorbitant cost of Mahaprasad, the delicacies served at the Shree Jagannath temple.
It is claimed that some intermediaries are asking exorbitant fees for Mahaprasad at the 12th-century shrine, despite the fact that a lot of devotees from all over the state and from outside the country are visiting the seashore town during Kartika.
Narayan Mahasuar, the president of Suar and Mahasuar Nijog of the shrine, asserted that certain intermediaries are purchasing Mahaprasad from Anand Bazar on the grounds of the temple and selling it to devotees for high prices.
He said that middlemen were taking advantage of the believers and claimed that a conversation had been had with the Puri district collector over the need to establish order in Ananda Bazar and show Mahaprasad tariff charts.
Although the Supreme Court ordered that measures be taken to enforce discipline in the Anand Bazar and presentation of the Mahaprasad rate chart in 2019, these directives have not yet been carried out.
Narayan Mahasuar promised that soon, measures will be done to make sure that the devotees received Mahaprasad at a fair price.
It should be noted that after offering Mahaprasad to the presiding deities, Suar and Mahasuar servitors prepare the food in the temple kitchen and sell it to the faithful.
"We have to pay Rs 250 for a pot of Mahaprasad, which is pretty expensive. It ought to be set at Rs 100, according to a follower.
Another devotee expressed similar sentiments, claiming that the high cost of Mahaprasad had a particularly negative impact on the impoverished. He advised taking action to lower the cost and maintain order inside the temple.
The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has been requested by numerous devotees to act quickly to control Mahaprasad costs.
While vegetable prices have increased dramatically in recent years, senior servitor Vinayak Dasmohapatra suggested that the temple administration negotiate acceptable Mahaprasad prices with Suar and Mahasuar Nijog. In the followers' best interests, "they should work together on this," he stated.
According to renowned researcher Surya Rath, the government must ensure that the Supreme Court's order to bring discipline to the temple is implemented in order to protect the interests of devotees.
