By proposing that foreigners should be permitted admission into the Jagannath temple in Puri, Governor of Odisha Ganeshi Lal sparked a debate that numerous traditionalists and political leaders have criticised and outright rejected. According to former minister Bijay Mohapatra, the temple’s ages-old customs shouldn’t be changed.
“When Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath leave the temple on the occasion of Ratha Jatra each year, everyone, including non-Hindus, is able to see them. Such issues shouldn’t be in contention, “The BJP official insisted.
In Puri, several servants repeated Mohapatra. Suresh Routray, a senior member of the Congress, stated that “interferences in religious rites should be avoided.”
Lal said on Thursday during a speech at a gathering at Utkal University, “It serves no purpose to deny the international visitors access to Lord Jagannath’s darshan within the temple if they are already meeting the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, servants, and the shankaracharya. It is merely an idea.”
Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the shrine from the 12th century shrine, one of the four dhams, which is one of the four dhams, one of the four dhams,
At the temple gate, there is a sign board that reads, “Only Hindus are permitted.”
Shree Jagannath Sena, a Puri-based sociocultural organisation, protested the governor’s remark in the temple town on Saturday.
“We have a lot of respect for the governor. But his proposal is unacceptable. He should refrain from the commenting on sensitive issues linked to faith and religion,” Sena convener Priyadarshan Pattnaik said.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), a government body that oversees the upkeep and maintenance of the temple and its operations, is yet to issue a statement on the matter.
The governor, who left for Ujjaini in Madhya Pradesh earlier on Sunday, could not be reached for his reaction.
When contacted, a representative for Raj Bhavan stated that the “The governor has only offered a single proposal. He made no directives.”
As Lord Jagannath is the “lord of the cosmos,” former minister for Odisha Damodar Rout endorsed Lal’s proposal and said that there should be no restrictions on anyone having a “darshan” of the deities.
“Lord Jagannath is regarded as the origin of all religions. Guru Nanak came here for a darshan of the deity. Similarly, Sri Chaitanya visited Puri in 1508 and propagated Vaishnavism on his return.”
Prasanta Patnaik 
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