How Jagannath Temple servitors are disgracing Puri Rath Yatra

When the television cameras zoomed in to show a young girl climbing down the chariot of Lord Balabhadra, thousands of people watching the last leg of the famous Rath Yatra 2016 at Puri found it weird.

Moments later when the cameras showed a few servitors getting into an ugly scuffle with the district collector of Puri and other media personnel, people were appalled.

The fiefdom of Jagannath Temple servitors, run in collusion and connivance of the political class and under the aegis of a dubious temple administration, had taken matters to the lowest ebb.

Lord Jagannath holds a special and unique place in the Odia society and culture. They are intertwined. The Jagannath Temple, called Sri Mandira, at Puri is the most visited place in Odisha and sustains a huge ecosystem.

Rath Yatra, the annual chariot festival is the most prominent, held across the globe and grandest of festivals. This year, almost as a sequel to last year's Rath Yatra, major deviation of rituals resulted in a ruckus and in full glare of TV cameras, bringing huge embarrassment and anger to millions of devotees.

After a prolonged debate last year and intervention by Odisha High Court, the climbing of devotees atop chariots was banned. A similar diktat was issued by the Shankaracharya and an understanding between Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and servitors to ensure the ban was reached.

However, a few relatives of the servitors, the girl in the camera included, following their usual practise, defied the ban. When Arvind Agarwal, the district collector of Puri intervened, all hell broke loose. The servitors came to manhandling members of district administration and media personnel.

The ritual of Niladri Bije, that of the deities returning to their temple after a nine-day-long sojourn at their aunt's place, was delayed by couple of hours, anguishing thousands of people who were attending the event and millions other devotees who were witnessing the proceedings live on TV.

Last heard, few servitors have been suspended; few have been arrested, and few are on the run and efforts are on to nab them with non-bailable warrants being issued on their names.

The state government, whose law minister, Arun Sahoo was present on the occasion and have in the past has seen is name muddied in temple affairs, has constituted a one-man judicial commission, headed by retired judge of Odisha High Court, Bimal Prasad Das, to suggest reforms in management of Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri.

The issue has become murkier with news breaking on July 25 showing evidence of the state government paying Rs 2 crore to servitors as a compensation for the loss that prevention of taking devotees atop chariots brought about and thereby to honour the Odisha High Court verdict.

Deep cleansing

A tough cleansing drive is need of the hour as far as servitors are concerned. There are nearly 6,000 servitors in 119 categories that help run the juggernaut of Jagannath Temple (ironically juggernaut is derived from Jagannath).

A lot of servitors are foul-mouthed, ill-behaved, and rich beyond their means and few of them are outright criminals, having been booked for crimes starting from theft to murder. Just because heredity ensures their appointment, it should not be a ground for their continuance.

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The devotee should have all the rights to know about the servitor who she deals with. Uniforms, ID cards, digital information accessible at the temple, feedback, easy grievance redressal mechanism, could be few of the reforms which would bring transparency and ensure that the hapless devotee is not taken for a ride.

Just like any other service sector, the servitors should be rated and a pay should be commensurate with performance. All of it would help weed out the nefarious servitors.

Transparent administration

The Shri Jagannath Temple Administration have often been accused to be a toothless tiger which has been unable to curb the servitor menace. While it has brought reforms to facilitate convenient darshan for devotees, its dubious dealings with members of the government on one hand and servitors on other have discredited it time and again.

If SJTA is to change this, it needs to be freed from over interference from Odisha government.

The number of government nominees need to reduce and a wider participation from Jagannath culture experts, and common public needs to be instituted. SJTA should adhere to rules of corporate governance.

The role of the state government has come in sharp focus over many religious-cultural issues in recent times. It is no business of the government to be in religious business. However the political capital of Lord Jagannath and the riches to the tune of hundreds of crores revenue per year, is impossible to ignore.

People power

Governments or SJTA or servitors do not have an incentive to mend their ways. It can only be induced when public at large call their bluff. The average Odia, religious or otherwise, is unhappy over the state of affairs vis-à-vis Jagannath temple. This has not been an isolated instance.

A major fiasco occurred last year concerning one of the holiest rituals of "soul-transfer" of deities at Puri Temple. The issue is still in limbo. Departures from centuries old rituals have been becoming commonplace of late.

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It is imperative for people to raise their voice against the dirty tricks department which has been going about their ways with utter disregard. For a first, if the religious sentiments can be contained a little, people should avoid using services of servitors in the temple (trust me that can happen, for I do that all the time).

Parleying for special darshan, special prasad, special goods, and special souvenirs needs to stop. Insane amount of money is involved in such dealings. This cycle needs to be broken if any meaningful change is to be brought about.

Reforms required

A strong anti-servitor mood is sweeping the Odia society. There can only be so much arrogance, departures from rituals, goonda-ism, that one can tolerate and from men of faith.

The Justice Das Commission has a huge mandate. It should not bend over backwards to placate the deeply entrenched reprehensible politico-economic system.

That if the commission comes with fruitful recommendations, how much of it will the state government accept is a different story.

Any crisis provides an opportunity to take corrective measures, and this fiasco has been added to a long list of crises that has hit Jagannath Temple.

But genuine reforms can only be brought about by the people. Their gumption can nudge and can even push for changes.

In a deeply religious society, it is easier said than done, but if the annoyance, the hurt, the detestation can be channelised in meaningful ways that take the wind out of the sails of those riding high on money and political power, it will be a cultural and religious revolution to save Lord Jagannath from clutches of servitors, SJTA or the political class.