Lingaraj temple priests cite threat to Shivratri as Odisha temple war escalates

Political analysts said the sparring between the BJD and the BJP over the NMA draft bylaws showed religion was going to be an important issue in the forthcoming polls in Odisha.

Updated on: Feb 17, 2021, 13:53:09 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Bhubaneswar

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The political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over the temple beautification drive intensified on Tuesday. The priests of the 11th century Lingaraj temple, backed by the BJD, claimed that the draft bylaw for the 13th century Vaishnavite temple Ananta Basudeva, issued by a Central agency, will hinder Shivaratri festival at the Lingaraj temple.

"The draft bylaws of the Ananta Basudeva temple are an outcome of the difference of opinion between the BJP and the BJD. If the government doesn’t roll back the draft regulations with immediate effect, it may have an impact on the upcoming Shivaratri rituals. Political game over the matter is playing spoilsport in the development of the temple," said Biranchi Pati, secretary of Brahmana Nijog, one of the most powerful bodies of priests of Lingaraj temple. His contention was similar to what Odisha chief secretary Suresh Mohapatra said in his letter to the Union culture secretary on Monday.

Last month, the National Monument Authority or the NMA, under the Union culture ministry issued draft bylaws for Jagannath temple of Puri, and Ananta Basudeva and Brahmeswar temples of Bhubaneswar under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. As per the draft bylaws, construction activities are prohibited within the first 100 metre radius of the monument and are regulated within the next 200 metres. The draft bylaws, however, are in conflict with the Odisha government's proposed temple beautification drive in Puri and Bhubaneswar.

In his letter to Centre, the Odisha chief secretary demanded withdrawal of the draft bylaws of Ananta Basudeva temple citing apprehensions of a widespread agitation leading to disturbance in religious rituals. "The kind of atmosphere in temples is bound to hurt the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees. It is important to have a peaceful atmosphere for conducting the annual Maha Shivratri festival in which a large number of devotees from all over the state participate," the chief secretary wrote, referring to the possible impact of the bylaws on the Lingaraj temple, situated less than 100 metres from the Ananta Basudeva temple.

However, Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi accused the Naveen Patnaik government of misleading the people since construction in the close vicinity of monuments protected by the Archaeological Society of India is already banned under the existing Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. She also alleged that the draft bylaws in contention could not have been formulated without the knowledge of the director of the culture department of Odisha.

Early this month, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan wrote to Union culture minister Prahallad Singh Patel requesting him to send an expert team from the ASI in Delhi to carry out a detailed study and thorough scientific excavation of the area around Lingaraj temple, which is being developed by the Odisha government. Soon after, a team of BJP leaders visited the site and demanded a halt to the ongoing work in the region till the entire area surrounding the complex is excavated.

Also Read: Odisha: Devotee donates over 4 kg gold, 3 kg silver to Puri Jagannath Temple

Political analysts said the sparring between the BJD and the BJP over the NMA draft bylaws showed religion was going to be an important issue in the forthcoming polls in Odisha. "The BJP is aware that the BJD is trying to snatch its religious card through development of old temples in a deeply religious state like Odisha. So the NMA draft bylaws on heritage temples may have come as a blessing for the BJP as the party can now challenge the BJD's temple development plank. But how much can the BJP counter the BJD's plan is not easy to predict," said political science professor Gyana Ranjan Swain of GM University in Sambalpur.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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