Bhubaneswar, Oct 4: Around 10,300 quintals of arpan rice were auctioned, generating Rs 2.86 crore for the Puri Srimandir fund. Puri District Collector and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Deputy Chief Administrator, Siddharth Shankar Swain, informed that the entire auctioned stock was purchased by Suresh Kumar Mohanty of Nimapada Ma Tardhana Rice Mill.

A total of 14,017.23 quintals of rice had been collected and transported to Puri. Of this, 4,610.44 quintals were stored at Srigundicha Temple, 2,618.07 quintals at the Akshayapatra Foundation, and 6,788.72 quintals at the Puri Supply Department godown.

Only 3,856.84 quintals from the Srigundicha Temple were allocated to the Suar Mahasura Nijoga. It was initially decided to use the arpan rice to prepare Mahaprasad for distribution among devotees visiting the Puri Jagannath Temple. However, after a change in government, the preparation and distribution of Mahaprasad ceased, resulting in some of the rice becoming unfit for use and subsequently being auctioned.

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