Bhubaneswar: BJD President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, expressed his profound concerns regarding the mishap during the ‘Adapa Mandap Bije’ of Lord Balabhadra in Puri. In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday, he urged the CM to personally ensure that such incidents do not recur again in future.
Naveen stated in his letter, “Lord Jagannath represents Odia Asmita and embodies the identity of Odias as the Lord of the Universe. Devotees in the millions from around the globe converge at Puri Dham to observe Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra, a festival celebrated with immense reverence and devotion worldwide. Additionally, billions of devotees experience the divine joy of the festival by viewing it on social media and television.”
He continued, “The unfortunate event during Lord Balabhadra’s Adapa Pahandi Bije this year has pained the devotees across the globe, and I share in their sorrow.”
Describing the deity as the supreme guardian of Odias, Naveen remarked that the mishap during the Pahandi was without precedent. The distressing video of Lord Balabhadra’s idol tumbling on the Charamala has been heart-wrenching, marking a first in the millennia-long history of the Rath Yatra.
Naveen also criticised certain State Cabinet members for their dismissive remarks on the matter, which he said compounded the pain felt by Lord Jagannath’s devotees. He argued that the government’s response failed to provide solace to the devotees.
Concluding his letter, Naveen requested, “I implore you to take personal responsibility to prevent the recurrence of any such incident. I am confident that your decisive actions will offer solace to the millions of devotees.”
During the Rath Yatra on July 9, the idol of Lord Balabhadra fell from the makeshift ladder (Charamala) while being taken to the Adapa Mandap of the Srigundicha temple from the Taladhwaja chariot on Pahandi procession, thus resulting in injuries to several servitors of Srimandir.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan courted controversy for their statements regarding the incident. The Deputy CM referred to it as a ‘minor mishap’, while the Law Minister stated it was ‘no one’s fault’ and that ‘only Mahaprabhu knows the cause of such an event’.
