Gajapati Maharaj of Puri submits affidavit before temple

Gajapati Maharaj of Puri, Dibyasingha Deb has submitted an affidavit before Justice B P Das Commission of Inquiry suggesting reforms in rituals and management of Shree Jagannath Temple.
The Commission secretary collected the copy of the affidavit from Deb's residence in Bhubaneswar today, which was the last date for submission of affidavits, Commission sources said.
The Puri district administration through its Collector and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration through its chief administrative officer too submitted their respective affidavits before the Commission during the day.
The Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth at Puri had earlier conveyed his suggestions to the Commission on the reforms for Shree Jagannath Temple.

The judicial commission had been instituted by the state government to suggest measures for better security of the temple, safety of the visiting devotees, timely conduct of temple rituals, and welfare of deities' servitors has received more than one thousand affidavits.
The Commission was set up in July this year after the 'Niladree Bije' fiasco which took place at the concluding ritual of the nine-day Rathayatra festival this year when the servitors allowed devotees to climb the chariots defying a ban by Orissa High Court.