Odisha to copyright Jagannath temple rituals to protect traditional expressions: Gajapati Maharaja

THE Odisha government has started working on securing copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of the pilgrim town, said.

- ARABINDA MISHRA

The statement came amid resentments among the devotees of Lord Jagannath over the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath's rituals by the ISKCON abroad and the West Bengal government's declaration of a temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham".

These are "gross violations" of sacred scriptures and ancient tradition, the Gajapati Maharaja, considered the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, told PTI in an interview.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a temple at the seaside town of Digh on April 30 and called it ‘Jagannath Dham', much to the chagrin of the Odisha government, the Shankaracharya of the Puri Govardhan Peeth Nischalananda Saraswati and a large number of devotees.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is entrusted with the job of performing the rituals and puja of the sibling deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladev and Devi Subhadra — in the Digha temple.

The ISKCON has faced criticism recently for holding the Rath Yatra festival in foreign countries on dates different from those traditionally observed in Puri.

"The ISKCON celebrates Rath Yatra and Snan yatra (bathing ritual) at random times of the year and the declaration of the Digha temple as Jagannath Dham - these are matters of great concern for every devotee of Lord Jagannath around the world. These are gross violations of our sacred scriptures and ancient tradition," Deb said.