Covid-19: Families of Puri temple servitors to get Rs 5,000 again
The succour for servitors assumes significance as the state government has decided to extend the closure of al…Read More
BHUBANESWAR: The Shree Jagannath temple administration (SJTA) in Puri on Wednesday announced another financial package for servitors whose livelihood has been adversely affected by the closure of the shrine since March 20 following the Covid-19 pandemic.
On April 17, the shrine body had given Rs 5,000 each to the families of 2,130 servitors. “We will provide another Rs 5,000 each to the same beneficiaries. The temple administration is committed to the well-being of the servitors as they are an inseparable part of the shrine and the rituals,” SJTA’s chief administrator Krishan Kumar said.
The succour for servitors assumes significance as the state government has decided to extend the closure of all religious institutions, including the Jagannath Temple, till June 30. The Jagannath temple managing committee had on its own recently moved the state government and recommended closure of the shrine for devotees till July 4. Although the temple has been out of bounds to devotees since March 20, the daily rituals are being performed by servitors with precautions.
While some servitors expressed happiness at receiving financial assistance, others said the amount should have been increased in the second phase. “My brother and I render our service near the deities. But both of us belong to the same family and will get Rs 5,000 together. We expected more,” a servitor said, requesting anonymity.
Some servitors offer daily services near the deities whereas others carry out duties on specific days of the year. Every day, nearly 80 servitors are required to perform around 20 or 22 rituals in the shrine. Servitors are paid according to the number of days they are assigned to perform rituals. Sources said servitors are paid between Rs 500 and Rs 2,500 remuneration each day.
The servitors said their income had been declining since 2014, when the temple administration banned the access of pilgrims to the chariots during Rath. Several servitors would earn money by escorting devotees to the chariots and performing puja for them. Then, in 2018, the administration imposed a ban on the collection of dakshina from devotees. “Many servitor families now find it difficult to make ends meet,” Binayak Das Mohapatra, a servitor, said.