BHUBANESWAR: Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb (67), who had abstained from performing his hereditary Chhera Pahanra service (sweeping of the floor) on Debasnan Purnima in Jagannath temple in the middle of Covid-19 last year, is unlikely to discharge his traditional duty on Thursday.
Temple sources said the Gajapati Maharaj may not attend Debasnan Purnima as two of his home staff have tested positive for Covid.
“The Gajapati Maharaja has not yet communicated the confirmation about his participation in Debasnan Purnima.
He may get himself tested on Wednesday.
If his test report comes negative by Thursday and he wishes to perform Chhera Pahanra, we will plan accordingly,” an officer of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.
If the king cannot make it to the festival, the SJTA has asked Narayan Mudirasta (16), the youngest servitor of the shrine, to perform the ritual on behalf of Dibyasingha Deb.
As per the temple law, only a minor member of the Mudiratha servitor’s family, can officiate Chhera Pahanra in the absence of Gajapati Maharaja of Puri.
Narayan’s elder brother Aditya Narayan Mudirasta, who was 17 last year, had performed the Chhera Pahanra service on Debasnan Purnima following the king’s absence.
According to the age-old tradition, the king is always transported to the temple in a palanquin from his royal palace, about 200 metres from the temple, to perform Chhera Pahanra on the bathing mandap where the deities would be given a ceremonial bath on Thursday.
The Maharaja sweeps the floor of the Snan Mandap in a gold-plated broom.
Earlier, the Gajapati had not been able to attend Debasnan Purnima twice during his tenure.
The first time was in 1976 when he was in the USA for his law studies and the Covid pandemic being the second reason for his absence last year.
Meanwhile, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, who is always invited by the temple administration to have darshan of the deities during Debasnan Purnima, may not attend on Thursday.