Jagannath temple in Puri. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 11: Conduct of rituals ahead of schedule has forced the Lords to go to bed early at the 12th-century old Sri Jagannath Temple in the last two days, causing resentment among the devotees.

While the ritual of pahuda (Lords going to bed) was conducted before 8pm on Monday, it was held at 9.30 pm last night. Usually, the last ritual of the temple is performed around midnight.

This has caused resentment among the scores of devotees as they were deprived from having the “darshan” of the Trinity, since the temple gates were closed ahead of the schedule. “We have to return disappointed as we could not have a darshan of the Lords,” said Abhimanyu Sahu, a devotee from Sohela in Bargarh. The state government has ordered the temple administration to find out the reason behind the deviation in the schedule of rituals.

“Recently, the schedule of rituals was finalised at a meeting with the servitors. It was decided that the Lords would go to sleep between 11pm and midnight. The temple administration will look into the reasons behind the deviated schedule,” said law minister Bikram Keshari Arukh.

“Action will be taken against the servitors responsible for the breach of discipline,” said Arukh, who is in charge of the affairs of the Jagannath temple.

The chief administrator of the temple, Arabinda Padhi, said he had sought a report from the administrator (rituals) and commander of temple police.

However, the temple servitors disapproved of the stand taken by the government and the temple administration. “Early conduct of rituals is a positive and welcome trend. There has been no deviation in temple rituals. . Only thing is the rituals have been completed a bit early,” said Taluchha Nilakantha Mohapatra, president of Puspalaka Nijoga, a servitor community.”

“This is a living temple. Rituals cannot be enforced strictly,” said Mohapatra. A section of servitors today staged a demonstration in front of the temple and burnt the effigy of law minister, Arukh, for his statement that action would be taken against the servitors responsible for the early conduct of rituals.

“The state government has no legal right to interfere in the temple rituals,” said Jagannath Sena convenor, Priyadarshan Patnaik, who joined the demonstration.