‘Serious and unpardonable act, never happened in history’: Servitor urges action as Lord Jagannath’s medicines ‘stolen’ from Odisha’s Puri shrine; SJTA begins probe

BHUBANESWAR: A senior servitor of the Puri Jagannath Temple, Haladhara Dasmohapatra on Monday has filed a complaint with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), alleging that herbal medicines intended for Lord Jagannath were stolen from within the temple premises.According to the complaint, at least 70 Dasamula Modaka — a ball-shaped Ayurvedic herbal medicine — were found missing from a total of 313 stored in the Garada, a chamber within the temple complex. The missing medicines were discovered on Saturday. “These medicines were prepared for the ceremonial treatment of the deities who became unwell after their sacred bath on Snana Purnima, observed on 11 June,” said Dasmohapatra. Since the ritual bath, the divine siblings — Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra — have been recovering in Anasara Ghara, the temple’s isolation chamber. They have remained out of public view since 12 June and are expected to reappear for darshan on 26 June, one day before the annual Rath Yatra. The medicines had been prepared by Raja Vaidyas, the temple’s traditional Ayurvedic practitioners. Dasmohapatra said he noticed the missing items when he went to the Garada to collect the Modakas for the deities’ treatment.

“This is a serious and unpardonable act. This has never happened in the temple’s history. The SJTA must conduct an investigation and punish those responsible. CCTV footage from the temple should be reviewed,” he added. An SJTA official said they are aware of the matter and an internal inquiry is underway to verify the allegation.