Bhubaneshwar, July 5, 2013: Rath Yatra is round the corner and the preparations have picked up pace. In the midst of this Debabrata Mohapatra speaks to shrine's chief administrator Arvind Padhee on allowing pilgrims atop chariots and other issues relating to the state's biggest carnival

Q-Why did the temple administration succumb to pressure from priests of allowing devotees on chariots?

A- We have not bowed to pressure. We wanted only priests atop chariots because large number of pilgrims on raths delay the rituals. We have dropped our plan of banning devotees on chariots for the time being , but will try to convince priests about it for better crowd regulation.

Q-Don't you think that such a ban will hurt the sentiments of pilgrims?

A- We very well understand the sentiments of devotees. But from the administrative point of view, it is our responsibility to ensure that the festival passes off peacefully. Presence of huge crowd on chariots will not only delay rituals, but also lead to chaos. After consulting religious scholars and experts, we had planned not to allow pilgrims to touch the deities.

Q-It is believed that the deities come out on Rath Yatra to give darshan to devotees of all caste, class and religion. Scriptures are silent on whether non-Hindus should be allowed on chariots. Then why was an American tourist thrown off last year?

A-Since it is a sensitive religious issue, we have referred the matter to the Puri Sankaracharya for solution. We have not yet received any communication from him.

Q-Do you find the shrine priests coming in the way of development of Jagannath temple?

A-I don't want to comment on any particular priest or blame anyone. But yes, we have not achieved our goal as envisaged. We are in the process of holding dialogues with priests for overall development of the temple.

Q-There is a growing demand among green lovers to use the same chariots every year to prevent felling of large number of trees. Will you bring any reform on this head?

A-We will definitely discuss the matter with priests of all Nijogs, religious experts and managing committee members before arriving at any decision.

Q-What are the proposed reforms you have drawn up?

A- A few weeks ago we announced to start FM radio service on Jagannath culture. Soon we will start online booking of Mahaprasad at Bhubaneswar. It will be transported from Puri in a specially-designed van. Proper upkeep and conservation of the temple is our top priority. Cleanliness in and around the temple will also be taken up seriously.

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 5, 2013.