Ritual Row: Temple priests appeal public to forget and forgive

As the public anger against the Odisha government for mismanagement in Lord Jagannath's 'Brahma Paribartan' ritual further intensified, the temple priests of Puri today appealed to people to forget and forgive them even as the stage is set for a state-wide bandh tomorrow followed by a series of agitations in next seven days.
"We admit delay, but there was no violation in secret ritual of 'Brahma Paribartan' (transfer of life substance from old idols to new ones). All sanctity was maintained while performing the ritual. Let people forget it like an accident," three Badaragi (idol protectors) priests - Jagannath Swainmohapatra, Haladhar Dasmohapatra and Ramchandra Dasmohapatra, said in a joint press conference at Puri.

Claiming that the Brahma substance of the trinity (Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra) is well placed in the new idols, the trio appealed people not to allow politicians take advantage of the situation.
They also promised to perform all rituals with devotion during the Rath Jatra on July 18.
The Daitapati priests, who have been in the centre of controversy for conducting 'Brahma Paribartan' during the day time instead of performing it in the dark night, gave clean chit to Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and said the delay was mostly due to time taken in carving of new idols by the carpenters.

"We were handed over the keys of the temple at 4.20 am of June 16 instead of 8 pm of June 15. Therefore, we are not at all responsible for the delay," said Jagannath Swainmohapatra.
The Daitapati priests, who are afraid of coming out of their houses due to public anger, gave this statement on the eve of the proposed 12-hour bandh tomorrow call for which is given by the Congress. The Congress bandh call came two days after the lawyers of Puri organising a similar shut-down in Puri town yesterday.
A day after the lawyers strike, sadhus and saints affiliated to VHP today staged dharna in all the district headquarters of Odisha. In a memorandum to Governor S C Jamir, VHP demanded an impartial investigation into the ritual rows in the 12th century shrine.