New Delhi: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan clarified that there was no theft of ‘modak’ from the Jagannath temple in Puri as alleged by a section of servitors.
‘Modak’ is a special type of ladoo offered to the deities of the temple as part of one of the rituals ahead of the Rath Yatra festival.
“There was no theft of modak from the temple as per the information given by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee,” the minister said on Tuesday.
As the controversy surfaced, Padhee ordered an inquiry by the SJTA officials which found that there was no theft of ‘modak’.
A group of ‘Vaidya sevak’ (ayurvedic doctors) supply ‘modak’ to the temple during the Lord’s ‘Anasar’ period when it was believed that the deities fell ill. It is also believed that the deities get cured after having ‘modak’.
The controversy began when Haladhar Das Mohapatra, the ‘Badagrahi’ (bodyguard) of Lord Balabhadra, claimed that 70 out of 313 ‘modaks’ stored under tight security were missing. As the modak was stolen its sanctity was lost. He lodged a formal written complaint with SJTA.
Talking to reporters, Padhee also rejected the allegations of theft.
