Puri, July 23: Even as lakhs of devotees continue to throng the Gundicha Temple for the sacred Adapa Darshan, concerns are growing among servitors over the prolonged suspension of Pahuda, the nightly ritual during which Lord Jagannath is ceremonially put to rest.

The deities are scheduled to return to the Shree Jagannath Temple during Bahuda Yatra in a day, completing their nine-day stay at the Gundicha Temple. However, servitors point out that the deities have not undergone the Pahuda Niti even once during their stay. The last Pahuda ritual was reportedly performed on July 9, and for the past 12 days, the deities have remained without the customary ceremonial rest.

The development has sparked debate within the servitor community, with many expressing concern that ritual traditions are being compromised to facilitate uninterrupted public darshan. Under the Jagannath tradition of "Jatha Dehe Tatha Deve" (the Lord is served like a living human being), Pahuda is considered an essential daily ritual.

Servitors allege that the emphasis on accommodating the massive influx of devotees and extending darshan hours has disrupted the temple's ritual schedule. They argue that if the daily rituals were conducted on time, Pahuda could also be observed without significantly affecting devotees' access to darshan.

Many servitors have expressed disappointment that the deities are being deprived of their ceremonial rest due to crowd management concerns. They believe that better coordination among temple authorities and stricter adherence to the ritual timetable would allow both uninterrupted darshan and the proper observance of the Lord's daily rituals.

With lakhs of devotees expected to visit Puri for Bahuda Yatra and Suna Besha, servitors have urged the temple administration to strike a balance between crowd management and preserving the sanctity of the centuries-old Jagannath temple traditions.