Bhubaneswar, Jan 15: The daily rituals of Lord Lingaraj at the Lingaraj Temple have returned to normal following a prolonged disruption caused by a dispute between two servitor groups. After the completion of Mangala Alati, darshan in queue system is currently underway.

The temple rituals had remained suspended since Tuesday night, forcing the deity to remain on fast. As a result, the Makar Sankranti rituals scheduled for Wednesday could not be performed. According to Brahmin Nijog secretary Biranchi Narayan Pati, the rituals have now been restored after several hours of delay.

The disruption occurred due to a conflict between the Badu Nijog and the Brahmin Nijog over the performance of the Kheera Auta (milk cooking) ritual during the Nabanka Bedha ceremony, held a day ahead of Makar Sankranti. The disagreement led to a halt in the offering of bhog, affecting the regular sequence of temple rituals.

Despite the suspension of rituals, devotees continued to visit the temple for darshan. However, several devotees expressed concern, stating that offerings made during the period were ritually invalid due to the absence of prescribed ceremonies.

The issue is not new. A similar dispute had emerged during Makar Sankranti last year, leading to a three-day suspension of temple rituals. In December last year, the District Collector directed that the Suars (temple cooks) perform the service, a decision opposed by the Badu Nijog, which subsequently approached the court. The court issued a stay order, further complicating the matter.

Both servitor groups have blamed the temple administration for the disruption. Meanwhile, the Ekāmra MLA described the suspension of rituals as highly unfortunate and issued a stern warning, stating that strict action would be taken against those responsible for halting the temple rituals.