Bhubaneswar, Jan 6: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued show-cause notices to two individuals for allegedly bringing unauthorised ghee into the premises of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri. The notices have been served to Rabindra Barik and Jameswar Suar, seeking written explanations within seven days.

According to SJTA sources, both have been asked to provide satisfactory clarification for their alleged involvement in violating established temple norms related to the use of ghee in rituals and preparation of Mahaprasad.

The temple administration had earlier issued clear instructions to the Suar Mahasuar Niyog, mandating that only ghee supplied by the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (Omfed) be used in the temple. The use or entry of any ghee sourced from outside agencies has been strictly prohibited. Senior supervisors and commanders of the temple have also been directed to ensure strict enforcement of these guidelines at all entry points.

The Chief Administrator of SJTA had recently reiterated that any attempt to bring unauthorised ghee into the Srimandir would invite stringent action.

Despite these restrictions, Rabindra Barik, a resident of Bira Harekrushnapur in Puri district, was allegedly caught carrying unauthorised ghee into the temple premises. He was reportedly about to hand it over to Jameswar Suar, a temple sevak, when officials intercepted them during an internal inspection and seized the ghee.

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