Change Rejected at Jagannath Temple

BY: S. PATRA, S. MAHAPATRA

May 24, PURI, INDIA (TNN) — The 12th Century Jagannath Temple in Puri is one of the holiest Hindu shrines.

The temple's door is open to all those who are Hindus by birth irrespective of caste. It is also open to Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains, but people of other religious faiths are not allowed to enter. This restriction has been in place for several centuries. It is a tradition that the priests say is rooted in its history.

The temple suffered a dozen attacks by Muslim invaders in the medieval period and the priests had to secretly shift the idols to safer places. During the British rule, Jagganath was painted as a cruel deity, as a Jaggernaut, who rode a car that crushed people under its wheels.

Interestingly, it's the British and not the Brahmin priests who in the early 19th Century formalised the ban.

''The temple was subjected to attack by non-believers and invaders 18 times between the 4th century and 18th century. Taking this into account the British rulers in 1805 notified that the temple would be open only to Hindus. So it's not the Raja or the Sevayats or the temple administration who imposed a ban. It's there in the holy texts as well as the Record of Rights of 1955,'' said Rabindra Nath Pratihari, Priest, Jagganath Scholar.

Purification ceremony

On the first of March this year the entire temple had to be closed for 18 hours for purification after an American engineer from New York entered the premises. He claimed he wasn't aware of the ban on entry for non-Hindus.

''I had no idea. There was quite a fuss and I was escorted out the temple, shown the way out. And I did that,'' said Paul F Rodgier.

The priests accepted that the American really didn't know but wanted the administration to publicise the entry rules as this wasn't the first such incident.

''The American was probably not aware of the rules. The temple should have put up the rules on larger boards outside,'' said a devotee.

Orthodox entry rules

Since the 1980s there have been campaigns by Hindu converts, like members of ISKCON, that they be allowed entry. But this met with stiff resistance on the grounds that these members are not Hindus by birth.

Even the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's request to enter the temple was turned down because she had married a Parsi.

''Many people say non-Hindus should be allowed. Actually it's a question of faith. It's not a museum or a zoo for everyone to visit. It is a place of worship for the believers in Lord Jagannath and Hinduism. Many people say the rules must change, but this can happen only when the believers want it. That time has not come,'' said Pratihari.

The Orissa state government has a major role in the management of the temple but it has so far steered clear of all controversies over the orthodox entry rules.

And the devotees' say unlike other deities the Jagannath trinity gives a public darshan twice every year and so there is no need the rules.