Bhubaneswar, Dec 31: A serious lapse has come to light in the calendar released by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) for the English New Year, triggering criticism from devotees and intellectuals alike. According to reports, the images of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra have been mistakenly interchanged in the calendar, with Jagannath’s image appearing in place of Balabhadra’s and vice versa.

The error has reportedly been found in both the table calendar and the wall calendar published by the temple administration. The SJTA had spent lakhs of rupees on printing calendars and diaries, which are now being sold to devotees, making the mistake all the more concerning.

Adding to the controversy, another glaring inaccuracy has been noticed in the depiction of the Rath Yatra festival. The calendar reportedly shows the chariot of Devi Subhadra leading the procession, followed by Lord Jagannath’s chariot and then Lord Balabhadra’s. Traditionally, the Rath Yatra follows a fixed order, with Lord Balabhadra’s chariot moving first, followed by Devi Subhadra’s and finally Lord Jagannath’s chariot.

The errors have raised serious questions about the verification process followed before publication. Intellectuals and devotees have expressed shock that such mistakes could occur in official publications of a temple of immense religious and cultural significance. Many have demanded an explanation from the SJTA and corrective steps to prevent such lapses in the future.

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