BHUBANESWAR: The Puri Jagannath Temple administration on Tuesday made a fresh appeal to everybody to refrain from the consumption of paan and gutka on the shrine premises.
The temple administration had in 2006 and 2019 made unsuccessful attempts in keeping the shrine free from paan and gutka stains. Observing that most of the servitors chewed paan and gutka, the temple administration had in 2006 planned to impose a fine of Rs 100 on anybody who spits inside the shrine.
In 2019, the temple administration announced to strictly enforce the ban from August 1 and warned of imposing a Rs 500 fine on violators. However, the plans were never executed.
On Tuesday, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration released an official notification, citing references from the Puranas (religious scriptures) and stated the use of paan in a temple is a sin. "Those who consume paan in front of me (god) are illiterate and brainless. Those who spit in the temple are culprits," read a reference cited by the temple administration.
In the notification, SJTA's chief administrator Ranjan Kumar Das stated the ban on paan, gutka and polythene would be strictly enforced in the temple, shrine office and the chain of hotels run by the temple administration.
Das has written to Chhatisa Nijog, a confederation of different associations of servitors, and sought their cooperation for smooth implementation of the order.
"We are unable to tell why the previous attempts failed. We are making a fresh appeal to devotees, servitors, officials on duty in the temple to stop chewing gutka and paan. Massive awareness is required to make it happen," a senior temple official said.
Debabrata Mohapatra is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India,...
Read MoreDebabrata Mohapatra is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India, Bhubaneswar. He had been writing for TOI from Puri since 2006 before joining the Bhubaneswar bureau in August 2010. He covers crime, law & order and Congress.
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