Indus Valley Times

By Nalini Sahu

Bhubaneswar, July 11: Leader of Opposition and Odisha’s ex-chief minister Naveen Patnaik and incumbent CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday exchanged letters on the Adap Mandap Bije mishap in Odisha’s Puri on Tuesday.

In his letter to CM Majhi over the “unfortunate mishap” in which the idol of Lord Balabhadra, elder brother of Lord Jagannath, slipped on the ‘Charamala’ (makeshift ramp) while being taken in pahandi (procession) from His chariot to Gundicha Temple on Tuesday.

“What happened during ‘Adapa Mandap Bije Pahandi’ has deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees all over the world. I am also very saddened by this incident. This has not happened in the tradition of thousands of years of Rath Yatra. The comments of certain Ministers have doubled the grief of Lord Jagannath lovers,’ Patnaik said in his letter written in Odia.

“I would like to request you to ensure that such lapses don’t happen again.  I hope your exemplary steps in this regard will help assuage the devotees,” he added.

Reacting to Naveen’s letter, CM Majhi said, “I’m also deeply hurt because of the incident that took place during Adap Mandap Bije. Soon after the incident, I had sent Deputy CM Prabhati Parida and law minister Prithwiraj Harichandan to visit Puri.  We will also ensure that such an incident never happens again.”

Earlier on Tuesday, after the completion of certain rituals on the chariots, the ‘Pahandi’ ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Debi Subhadra began. When the idol Lord Balabhadra was being taken in a procession (pahandi) to ‘Adapa Mandap’ of sanctum sanctorum of Srigundicha temple to be installed there, it slid on the ramp because of careless handling by certain servitors.

A three-member committee has been formed to find out the reasons for the mishap.