SJTA will rationalize the rates of Mahaprasad in Puri temple

PURI: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has resolved to rationalize the rate of ‘Mahaprasad’ and bring discipline in the Ananda Bazaar located inside the temple premises. The decision was taken at a meeting of all stakeholders here on Friday. Due to frequent tussles between supakara nijog (cooks) and hawkers with buyers in the market, devotees have been demanding for a long time to fix the price of Mahaprasad.

An 11-member team comprising the three administrators, the sub-collector, the temple security chief, three management committee members, the police inspector of Singhdwara police station, the president of Supkara Nijog (temple cooks’ association) and the secretary was formed to look into the matter. I went. Submit proposal within a week.

More than 500 cooks work in the temple kitchen with another 500 support staff to prepare commercial indulgences, while hawkers are engaged at sales counters for marketing. These hawkers, mostly non-servants, reportedly often misbehave with pilgrims when they refuse to buy from their counters at Ananda Bazaar.

Sources said, Supakara cooks prepare a huge amount of prasad daily and sell it to devotees at Ananda Bazar after offering it to the deity. On festivals and auspicious occasions, they cook bhog in large quantities and sell it at high prices. Even the Supakaras start quarreling with the buyers over the price.

Briefing reporters, Chief Administrator Ranjan Kumar Das said the committee has been tasked to discuss the issue of price fixing with supakars and prevent them from engaging hawkers to sell Mahaprasad at Anand Bazaar. “A chart showing the rates of each item of Mahaprasad cuisine will be made mandatory for each sales counter,” he said. He informed that the committee will also suggest improvements in sanitation and drinking water facilities in the area.

The committee members will submit the rate chart to the temple management committee for approval after discussion with the vendors. The rates will be implemented as soon as approval is given, Das said. “Apart from the mandatory display of rate charts, quality checking will also be done,” Das said.

Das informed that apart from this, it was decided in the meeting to set up a police help desk for the devotees at Anand Bazar. Narayan Mahasuar, secretary of Supakara Nijog, while assuring cooperation to the administration to improve the all-round condition of Anand Bazar, demanded the administration to open Khaja and Sukha Mahaprasad counter at the northern gate of the temple.