[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Jul 19, 2015 — JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — Two servitors of Jagannath Temple, Jay Krushna Dasmohapatra and his father Kasinath Dasmohapatra, who were suspended in the wake of the Bramha Paribartan (soul transfer) fiasco last month, allegedly threw the shrine's diktat to wind and rendered their hereditary services in the temple on Saturday.

While suspending the father-son duo on June 24, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had clearly said they cannot be allowed to render their services in the temple till further order. The SJTA also banned their service during famous Nabakalebara Rath Yatra.

Around 9.15 am, Jay Krushna and his father were seen entering the temple. After the completion of Pahandi ritual (procession in which the Deities were taken out of the temple onto chariots), both of them sat on the chariot of Subhadra for a long time. However, during pulling of the chariots, they were not seen.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

"Who is SJTA to stop me from visiting the temple and offering my service? It is our hereditary service. I am not employed in the temple," Jay Krushna told media persons while entering the temple in the morning. His father Kasinath parroted him and said: "We did not commit anything wrong."

The temple administration said it would examine the statements of Jay Krushna and Kasinath. "We received information about their presence in temple and on chariots. We will question them and initiate action as per the Temple Act," said a temple officer.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]

Jay Krushna is the Puri district President of Biju Yuva Janata Dal, the youth wing of ruling BJD. Prima facie, the SJTA had found evidence against him for allegedly forcing other priests to take his father Kasinath to a secret room where Bramha Paribartan was performed on June 16. He allegedly misbehaved with other priests when they ignored his demand.

After being axed, Jay Krushna made the startling revelation before the media and said the process of Brahma Paribartan was violated. "While only four Daitapati servitors were scheduled to perform the secret ritual, five more, including my father were present during the ritual. If the administration took action against me and father, what about the others," he asked. He even alleged more than 40 other servitors attempted to barge into the secret room where the secret ritual was carried out. He recently moved the Orissa High Court, challenging the SJTA's suspension order.

[ Photo: Sampradaya Sun ]