Lawsuit seeks reforms in Puri temple practices
By IANSFriday, March 26, 2010
BHUBANESWAR - Cuttack based NGO Utkal Vidyarthi Abhijan Friday filed a public interest lawsuit (PIL) in the Orissa High Court seeking reforms in the functioning of the Puri temple.
“We have demanded that the misbehaviour of the priests with visiting pilgrims be stopped. It earns a bad name for the state,” the NGO’s general secretary Nishikant Mishra said.
The petitioners also demanded that the foul language and songs used by Dahuka (charioteer) be stopped during world famous Chariot festival. They sought details of the temple’s property.
The petitioners have suggested that the temple should not throw away or dump the bhog - the food offerings - in case of disturbance in rituals and these should instead distributed among the people.
Among other suggestions, the Utkal Vidyarthi Abhijan said the temple administration should sell the “abadha bhog” itself instead through some special servitors to increase the temple revenue.
The petitioner has made the state culture secretary, the temple’s chief administrator, the endowment commissioner and Puri district administration as parties in the PIL.
