Protest over allowing foreigners in Jagannath Temple

The controversy over the ruling BJD MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra's statement favouring entry of foreigners into Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri, intensified on Tuesday with priests staging a demonstration before the 12th century shrine.

The priests under the banner of 'Chatisa Nijog' (federation of 36 groups of priests) burnt effigy of Mohapatra demanding withdrawal of the statement that allegedly hurt religious sentiments of scores of Hindus. The priests agitation came a day after Jagannath Sena strongly opposed Mohapatra's statement.

"Mohapatra must withdraw his statement and the state government should take action against him for the bad utterance," said Chatisa Nijog secretary Ramachandra Dasmohapatra.

Mohapatra, considered as the main adviser to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had on Sunday told a meeting on tourism that there was nothing wrong in allowing foreigners to enter the temple in order to boost the state's tourism potential.

"If we allow foreigners to enter the temple, tourist flow to the state will be doubled," the BJD MP had stated.

Meanwhile, Shankarachaya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, who according to the Temple Record of Rights (RoR) is the authority to take a decision on allowing foreigners and non-Hindus into the temple, said, "Let me hear arguments of all sections and study the spiritual angles into it. A decision can be taken after a detailed debate."