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Orissa HC asks state govt to not stop wages of section of Jagannath temple servitors
The Danadhyakshya servitors used to receive the remuneration from the Jagannath temple administration till March 2012 when it was abruptly stopped on the ground of funds crunch
The Orissa high court has asked the state government to not to stop the remuneration of a section of Jagannath temple servitors in Puri citing funds crunch.
A two-judge bench of the court comprising justices BR Sarangi and MS Raman said the remuneraion of the Danadhyakshya servitors should not have been stopped as it is written in the temple’s Record of Rights and the concept is an ancient one.
The Danadhyakshya servitors used to receive the remuneration from the Jagannath temple administration till March 2012 when it was abruptly stopped on the ground of funds crunch.
When the Jagannath temple was under the administrative control of the Puri king, the Danadhyakshya sevayats were appointed by him and in return, they were getting their shares for the betterment of the temple and the devotees those who were visiting the temple were getting Prasad from the share given to Danadhyakshya sevayats.
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Though the temple administration started paying remuneration to some servitors whose services were revived, the same was not done in case of Danadhyakshya forcing one of the servitors to move court.
The HC in its order said according to ancient customs, usages and the unique traditional Nitis and Rituals, the Record of Rights of Shri Jagannath Temple clearly mentions the Danadhyakshya Seva.
Under the Seva, the chief representative of the Lord Jagannath will donate rice, dal, ghee in the evening to Danadhyakshya Sevayat for cooking it in the temple kitchen. Thereafter, the Prasad will be offered to the Lord after that it will be distributed among the devotees.
“As per the report dated January 11, 2012, the Jagannath Temple management committee, there was discussion about the restarting of Danadhyakshya Seva. Thereafter, the authorities of Temple Administration did not take any step to restart the Seva, which was stopped without any reason,” the HC in its order said.
“By stopping such Seva, the accrued right in favour of Danadhyakshya has been taken away without any rhyme or reason. When the servitors are willing to discharge their responsibility as Danadhyakshya Sevak, there is no valid and justifiable reason available with the temple administration to stop it. This process is not beneficial to any individual like opposite party no.6, rather, it is for the benefit of the devotees at large and the seva is a recognition to the Brahmins by the ruler, the king, which is hereditary in nature. That could not have been taken away in a flimsy manner, or that could not have been stopped without giving opportunity of hearing to the Danadhyakshya servitors,” the HC said.
The HC said the hereditary Seva of the deity, which found place in the Record of Rights should not have been stopped on the plea of financial crunch, when huge amount of money is being spent for the purpose of development of the temple and its administration.
