Bhubaneswar: The Lingaraj Temple’s annual Handi Bhanga Jatra could not be conducted on Saturday due to the ongoing dispute between servitors. The devottes were disappointed due to suspension of the rituals.
This will be the 12th year the certain ritual has been cancelled.
The Khuntia and Malia communities servitors have been in a long dispute over the exclusive right to conduct the ceremony at Kapileswar Temple. This dipute has led to the disruption of ritual performance in the temple.
Even though, discussions with representatives of both groups have been held multiple times, no solution has been made till now. The two groups are not ready to compromise on their claims.
In the Handi Bhanga Jatra, Lord Lingaraj is carried from the Lingaraj Temple to the Kapileswar Temple in a ceremonial procession with the belief that this will ward off the adverse effects of the planet Shani.
During the procession, Lord Lingaraj is accompanied by other deities, including Devi Parvati, Devi Durga, and Lord Ananta Vasudev, who are borne in wooden palanquins amid devotional fervour. During this ritual, priests and devotees prepare prasad in newly crafted earthen pots at the Kapileswar Temple as the pots are broken after the deity departs the shrine to begin the return journey.