Odisha High Court Issues Directions To District Administration For Proper Management In Darshan Of Lord Allarnath While Hearing PIL

Recently Division Bench comprising Hon’ble Justice S.K. Sahoo and Hon’ble Justice M.S. Ramana of Hon’ble Odisha High Court while hearing PIL on proper crowd management, arrangement of Darshan from Argali (Space connected to narrow strip to Sanctum Sanctorum (Garbhagriha) of Lord Allarnath), providing facilities and maintaining law and order for the huge crowd gathering during religious gathering of large numbers of devotees in Shree Shree Alarnath Temple, Brahmagiri during anavasara for two weeks period from 05.06.2023 has issued following directions for District Administration for smooth and peaceful darshan of deities :-

• The ceiling fans, which are stated to have been installed inside the shade should be thoroughly checked at regular intervals for its safety In addition to the ceiling fans, pedestal fan arrangements are to be provided outside the barricade already made at close distance in view of scorching summer heat for the comfort of the devotees during their movement inside the barricade. During movement of devotees in queue, safe distance be ensured for physical comfort and to avoid collision
• Separate arrangements are to be made for the early darshan of the deity by the old/physically disabled and differently abled persons/women/children and battery car arrangements should be made from the parking space of the vehicles.
• Sale of prasad and eating of prasad by the devotees inside the temple premises is to be restricted/ regulated to prevent gathering of crowd for such purpose for a long time inside the premises and separate arrangement should be made at a place adjacent to the temple
• The darshan time of the deity and also the closing time of the darshan on account of performance of different rituals of the deity should be published in some print media and broadcasted in electronic media on day to day basis for the information of the devotees in order to facilitate them to visit the temple during the festival as per their convenience
• no servitor of the temple is allowed to take any devotee beyond the Argali area to have a close darshan of the deity (inside the sanctum sanctorum) particularly during rush hour;
• Mobile toilet arrangement should be made nearer to the barricade for the convenience of the devotees
• The movement of the devotees inside and outside the temple should be monitored through CCTV in the control room
• Civic facilities, administrative and security measures as would be necessary should be organized immaculately by the District Administration for comfortable darshan of Lord Alarnath by the devotee

SIGNIFICANCE OF SHREE ALARNATH TEMPLE

Alarnatha temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and located in Brahmagiri, Odisha, near Puri. It becomes crowded during the kirshnapaksha of Ashadha, after the Snana Yatra when devotees are not allowed to see the central icon of Jagannath (a form of Vishnu) in Puri temple.

After the ceremonial bath on the eve of “Snana Purnima”, the siblings deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra are believed to be down with fever and they returned to Anasara Ghara in Shree Jagannath temple. During this period, popularly known as Anasara or ‘Anavasara’ (literally meaning no opportunity to see the lord of Puri), instead of having darshan in the Puri temple, devotees believe that Lord Jagannath during this time manifests as Alarnath Dev, at the Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri.

It is also believed that the devotees can avail the same blessings and fortune of Jagannath darshan by having the darshan of Lord Alarnath. Along with Lord Alarnath, the devotees get the darshan of Lord Ananta Basudev in place of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Bhubaneswari in place of Devi Subhadra. The idols of Lord Dolagobinda, Lord Nrusingha, Lord Madanmohan, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Goddess Bhudevi, Goddess Sridevi and ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu are also being worshipped at the Alarnath temple.

Case title :- Madhusudan Pujapanda Vs. State of Odisha & others

Case no. :- W.P.(C) No.18116 of 2023

Order date :- 08.06.2023