Ramchandra Das Mohapatra

A former state wrestling champion, Ramchandra Das Mohapatra, 55, may be involved in various sports associations but during rath yatra, he surrenders himself completely to the Lord and His services. Leaving all pressing assignments for an entire month, the secretary of the Chhatisa Nijog (confederation of 36 servitor groups) remains busy with temple activities. In an interview with The Telegraph, he expresses his views on a range of subjects, including the visit of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi to the pilgrim town during the car festival.

Puri temple administration and servitors have been sparring time and again over the issue of allowing devotees to touch Lord Jagannath and His siblings on the chariots. Though the Puri shankaracharya will take a final call in this regard after rath yatra, what is your opinion?

Once the Lord comes out of the temple, anyone, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, can touch the idols.

This is the only temple in the world where the lord Himself comes out of His abode to meet His devotees.

No one should come between Him and them.

The temple witnesses a lot of infighting between different sects of servitors as a result of which rituals are delayed. How are you trying to ensure better coordination among them?

These are things of the past. We have streamlined the entire process. We have also cooperated with the administration in this regard and the impact is quite visible now.

For the past two years, the car festival has passed smoothly.

However, one has to keep in mind that 36 sects of servitors involving nearly 2,500 people manage the temple. If one makes a mistake, the entire process is delayed.

What would you say about allegations that sevayats (servitors) are misbehaving with devotees coming to Puri?

Servitors should not be blamed always. On a few occasions, the fault lies with the devotees and this fact must not be ignored. We have already taken a number of steps to educate our brothers and have also banned two servitors for misbehaving with devotees. If we find that someone is involved in any brawl with devotees, we will cooperate with police to initiate criminal proceedings.

Do you support Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Puri King Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb and the shankaracharya during his rath yatra visit on July 16?

Religion should be kept away from politics. Both the gajapati and shankaracharya are above party politics. It’s my personal opinion that neither of them should allow Modi a meeting.

Have reforms by the temple administration brought about desirable changes in the functioning of the temple?

No. Senior IAS officers in the rank of commissioner have been appointed as chief administrators of the temple over the years. Overhead bureaucratic expenses have increased over the years. But you will be surprised to know that Re 1 allocated in the temple budget to buy ginger for preparation of food for the deities has remained unchanged. This is just one of several examples.

You are a servitor. From where do you get gold ornaments to wear?

We are the kin of Lord Jagannath. He has given us all the gold. I have inherited it from my ancestors. During Nabakalebara, when the new idols replace the existing idols of the Trinity, we are entitled to get everything of the Lord, including jewellery. It includes gold that devotees have offered to Him. I have never bought any gold for myself for years. We consider the Lord our brother. As the grand car festival is associated with our brother, we put on new clothes and wear gold ornaments.

Are you not scared of wearing the gold ornaments as the crime graph of Puri is shooting up?

Never. We are the servitors of Lord Jagannath and He has to take care of us. We have that confidence in Him; He is the living deity (Jianta Thakura).

If He wants that I should not wear the gold, He will certainly take it from away from me. I am prepared for that. However, we wear the ornaments only during rath yatra.

What are your sources of income?

During rath yatra, which begins from Snana Purnima to Niladri Bije covering a span of one month, we are entitled to get all the money and gifts that have been offered to the Trinity.

Besides, I also handle the job of bringing pilgrims from across the country to Puri and ensure that they have a good darshan of the lord. Whatever they give me is enough to make both ends meet.

What do you expect from the government for the welfare of servitors?

The government should introduce a pension scheme for Rs 3,000 per month for servitors, besides health insurance. Otherwise, the new generations servitors will not be interested in following the traditional profession and leave Puri in search of better employment opportunities.