Orissa High Court: In a civil Writ Petition by way of Public Interest Litigation to issue any appropriate writ or direction/command for proper crowd management, arrangement of Darshan from Argali (Space connected to narrow strip to Sanctum Sanctorum (Garbhagriha) of Lord Allarnath), the Division Bench of S.K. Sahoo and M.S. Raman, JJ. gave a slew of directions to the District Administration of the Temple for the smooth and peaceful darshan of the deity by the devotees.
Background
In the matter at hand, it was stated that Alarnatha temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and located in Brahmagiri, Odisha, near Puri. It becomes crowded during the Krishna Paksha 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 Alarnatha 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.
Therefore, considering the huge crowd, the petitioner sought directions for management of crowd.
In the previous Order of the Court, the Court directed the State to file an affidavit indicating the steps taken by the District Administration to ensure a smooth darshan of the deity, which had commenced on 05-06-2023 and is expected to last for two weeks. The Court also directed the District Administration and the Temple Administration regarding the provision made for safe and smooth entry and exit from the temple and to take regulatory measures for the same.
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Court’s Order
The Court gave following directions to the District Administration temple administration/Committee to take further steps for the smooth and peaceful darshan of the deity by the devotees:
The ceiling fans installed inside the shade should be thoroughly checked at regular intervals for its safety as there is likelihood of the same being falling over the devotees due to improper installation, lack of maintenance or other defects, thereby causing injury to them. Pedestal fans should be provided outside the barricade, 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 should be ensured for physical comfort and to avoid collision.
Separate arrangements must 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 which is situated at a considerable distance from the temple to the point of separate entry of these categories of devotees and also for their return from the exit point to the parking area.
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 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 their visit to the temple during the festival as per their convenience.
Since it was mentioned in the affidavit filed before the Court that in the last two days of the yatra i.e. 05-06-2023 and 06-06-2023, the devotees were having darshan of the deity from the Argali area, the same arrangement shall continue till the end of the festival and the administration is required to ensure that 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 arrangements 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 devotees.
[Madhusudan Pujapanda v. State of Odisha, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 18116 of 2023, Order Dated: 08-06-2023]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For the Petitioners: Advocate Laxmidhar Dash;
For the Respondents: Additional Government Advocate Suman Pattnaik.
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