Lord Jagannath’s medicines stolen from Puri temple - 'never happened in history'

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra will be ceremonially moved from the Lion's Gate of the temple to the Gundicha temple in Puri.

A senior servitor of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, has filed a formal complaint with the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), alleging the theft of sacred herbal medicines meant for Lord Jagannath and his siblings, The Times of India reported.

The complaint, filed by Haladhara Dasmohapatra, was submitted on Monday. Dasmohaptra has claimed that 70 Dasamula Modakas, traditional Ayurvedic medicine balls, have gone missing from the temple's Garada Ghara (medicine storage chamber).

According to the complaint, 313 Dasamula Modakas were prepared by the Rajvaidya (royal physicians) and kept in the Garada Ghara for the divine treatment of the deities. These herbal medicines are an essential part of rituals during the Anasara period, a time when Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are believed to be recovering after falling ill due to the ceremonial Snana Purnima bath, observed on June 11.

The deities have been kept away from public view in the Anasara Ghara since June 12 and are expected to reappear for darshan on June 26, a day before the famous Rath Yatra. It was during the sacred Anabasara Ekadashi night on June 21 that Haladhara Dasmohapatra discovered 70 modakas missing while preparing for the deities’ treatment.

“This is a serious and unpardonable act. This has never happened in the temple’s history. The SJTA must conduct an investigation and punish those responsible. CCTV footage from the temple should be reviewed,” TOI quoted the servitor as saying.

In response, an SJTA official confirmed that they have taken note of the complaint and that an internal inquiry is currently underway to look into the alleged theft and verify the claims made by the servitor.