Odisha: Row between priests stall rituals at Lingaraj Temple

BHUBANESWAR: Uncertainty continued over the Shital Sasthi rituals of Lord Lingaraj following a conflict between priests of Lingaraj and Kapileswar temples on Saturday. Khurda district administration and the chief administration officer of Lingaraj Temple administration continued their efforts to resolve the issues among the priests for smooth conduct of the rituals till late into Saturday night.
The priests of the two temples have been at loggerheads for the last several years for which the priests of Kapileswar Temple have not been coming to Lingaraj Temple to perform rituals during the Sital Sasthi festival since 2015. This year, the Brahmana and Pujapanda nijogs of Lingaraj Temple refused to go ahead with the rituals till their demands are met.
“Discussions are on. We are hopeful that the Shital Sasthi rituals will be conducted,” said a senior servitor of Lingaraj Temple.
However, the frequent disruption in the rituals due to the conflict between priests of the two temples generated resentment among the devotees. They urged the district and temple administration to take the matter seriously and try to ensure that the rituals of the deities are performed regularly.
“Cancellation of rituals due to the infight between priests is nothing new in Lingaraj Temple. This has become a practice for the last several years. Why is there no solution to this problem? Whatever be the demand of the priests, is it more important than that of the rituals?” asked Soumitra Pati, a resident of Old Town area.