Puri Jaghannath temple to bring uniformity in rituals

Puri, Feb 23 (UNI) Sri Jagannath temple administration will take steps to bring uniformity in the rituals among all the Jagannath temples located in and out side Orissa.

Jagannath Temple Chief Administrator Suresh Chandra Mahapatra told newsmen here yesterday that there were as many as 1700 Jagannath temples in the state in which the religious services were not performed in accordance to the prescribed system. Even the offerings of ''Prasad'' to deities were not properly observed.

He said the Jagannath temple of Puri has planed to conduct a works shop sometime in April next involving priests of all these temples to familiarise them about the'' nitees'' and rituals mandatory for observance in a Jaganath temple. The Puri temple servitors would enlighten them about the rituals,Mr.Mahapatra said.

In the first phase 30 ancient Jagannath temple had been identified and the priests of these temples would invited to participate in the workshop.

The temple, the Chief Administrator said, had initiated a move to present religious items as gifts to those who would donate for the deities in the temple.

As per the proposal whoever donates more than hundred rupees to the lord would be given a nicely packed gift box from the temple office containing small pieces of temple flag, ratha wood and ''nirmalya'',considered as most sought after religious items by the devotees.

UNI