Bhubaneswar: “Daitapati” priests of Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri have unanimously decided to oppose the temple administration's decision of not allowing devotees to climb chariots during annual rath yatra.
Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had recently decided not to allow any person to climb chariots on the basis of the recommendation of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati.
The Puri seer made the recommendation after consulting Hindu religious scholars and experts.
However, Daitapatis, a section of priests who remain in charge of Lord Jagannath when the deities move out of the temple for rath jatra, in their general body meeting last night at Puri resolved that they would not accept SJTA's ban on the devotees to climb the chariots.
“We condemn the recommendation of Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati and the subsequent ban decision by the temple administration,” said Premananda Dasmohapatra, Secretary of Daitapati ‘Nijog' (association).
