Q. How are the preparations for the festival going?

A: The preparations are over and last minute fine-tuning is on. The biggest challenge is how to bring about co-ordination among all the categories of servitors to ensure that there is no delay in the conduct of rituals. All have to understand that you cannot make lakhs of devotees waiting outside the temple for hours together to get a glimpse of the lord. We have to ensure that all ingredients required for the rituals are in place. Another challenge is how to organise the pulling of the chariots smoothly as the weather department has predicted heavy rainfall on Saturday.

Q. What about security arrangements?

A: Yes. Besides the main temple, closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at all the subsidiary shrines and the vantage points. The chariots, the Gundicha temple and all veshas (attires) of the lord will be under surveillance. We have put up many signboards to give firm messages to mischief mongers that they are being watched. Nearly 10,000 police men, headed by the director general of police, are on the job to provide security.

Q. Can the devotees be allowed to touch the deities....

A: I still remember we used to embrace the deities. But the practice has been stopped which is good. Two things have been completely banned. No one - except the servitors who have been authorised - can climb up the chariots. And, no one can touch the deities. But the devotees can touch the chariots.

Q. Supreme Court has issued a number of directions and suggestions, including the entry of non-Hindus to the temple. What's your opinion?

A. That's only a suggestion that requires a lot of deliberation and debates. But a number of directions of the apex court are implementable. The issue of abolition of hereditary rights (of sevayats) should be re-examined. The servitors should not dictate terms. If they do their duties sincerely without harassing the administration and the devotees, we will place the suggestion before the management committee to take a re-look at it after the rath yatra.

However, we have already implemented the direction that servitors can not demand any dakshina (donation) from devotees. We will install a number of donation boxes for the devotees. Let me also clarify there are majority of servitors who want that devotees come to Puri and return with a good experience. Now our duty is to isolate the mischief mongers.

Q. You were the district collector of Puri between 1998 and 2001 and conducted rath yatra for three years. Again in 2010-2012, you joined as chief administrator and now in 2018. What are the visible changes you notice?

A: The footfall to Puri has increased by leaps and bounds. Many barricades have been installed which were not there at that point of time. But you cannot do away with it now taking the security aspects into account. Earlier, the collector was the all-in-all as far as the management was concerned. In another development, the work of the temple has been increased tremendously which includes managing its vast land. The collector was overburdened. Keeping all these things into account, the government has set up the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration to deal with the issues pertaining to temple.

Q. The Puri Gajapati has regretted that once the rath yatra is over, the temple no longer remains a priority for the state administration...

A: I will not comment on this. He is an independent person and is free to air his views.

Q. The Puri Shanka-racharya's mutt is demanding return of its land. What is your view?

A: This mutt is the highest body in the Hindu religion. It guides the temple authorities on various issues. Keeping the sanctity of the mutt, we have decided to take all necessary steps to return the land subject to the approval of the government.

Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra is the chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple