Lingaraj priest attacked on Mahashivratri eve

BHUBANESWAR: As police and Lingaraj temple authorities were busy giving finishing touches to the Mahashivratri arrangements, unidentified miscreants allegedly attacked a priest of the 11th century shrine on Sunday.
The priest, Bhagaban Samartha was rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. Mahashivratri will be celebrated on Monday.
Sources said Samartha was scheduled to perform the traditional practice of taking mahadeep atop the temple on Monday night.
Samartha was found lying in a pool of blood near a crematorium on Mahatab Road in the Airfield police station area. "We found injuries on his neck and other body parts," a police officer said.
"Though it seemed like an attempt to murder incident, the injuries could also be self-inflicted. Till evening, we did not receive any allegations of murder attempt on him," the police officer said. Prima facie, police did not find Samartha having enmity with anyone.
"We are asking members of Samartha Nijog to see if he had any hostility with other members," he added.
While the incident has put police on toes, shrine authorities are jittery that the incident might rob the sheen off the Mahashivratri on Monday. "We have requested the police to prevent any untoward incident on Monday," a temple officer said. Police on Saturday announced heavy security cordon for the smooth conduct of the annual festival.
Expressing shock over the incident at this point of time, temple's executive officer Abanikant Pattnaik said, "We would arrange for his substitute to carry out the mahadeep ritual. The Samartha Nijog has assured us to cooperate with us."
Notably, Kasinath Badu, alias Kunu, a priest of Lingaraj temple was allegedly hacked to death on Aug 9, 2010 following rivalry with another group of priests. Police had arrested three other priests for allegedly perpetrating the murder. Acrimony between priests over dominion (ilaka) rights over pilgrims had led to the murder of a priest in 1920.
A few days ago, rituals of the temple were stalled by some priests over alleged unequal allotment of assignments to them by the shrine trust.