Bhubaneswar, April 10: The ongoing controversy over the “Ghoda Utha” ritual at the Shree Lingaraj Temple is set to be reviewed at the highest level, with servitor representatives expected to submit a detailed written report by Friday evening.

According to sources, the report will be placed before the Executive Officer of the temple, highlighting the recent dispute and the disruption in daily rituals. The submission will be examined alongside the inquiry report prepared by the Assistant Executive Officer. A final decision regarding action will be taken in the upcoming Trust Board meeting.

The issue dates back to Monday morning when tensions flared during the Sahanamela (public darshan near the deity). A dispute erupted between members of the Badu Brahmin Nijog and other servitors over the lifting of the deity’s attire, commonly referred to as “Ghoda Utha.” The argument soon escalated into a verbal altercation and physical scuffle inside the temple premises.

The incident led to a major disruption in the temple’s ritual schedule, with “Niti Kanti” remaining affected for over seven hours. Both groups later lodged complaints at the local police station. Following intervention and discussions at the temple office, normalcy in rituals was restored.

Notably, this is not the first such incident. Similar disputes over ritual practices and servitor responsibilities have surfaced in the past at the Lingaraj Temple, occasionally leading to disruptions in daily rituals and drawing attention from the temple administration. Authorities have since been under pressure to streamline procedures and prevent recurrence of such conflicts.

With the matter now escalating to the Trust Board level, all eyes are on the forthcoming decision, which is expected to set a precedent for handling ritual-related disputes at the temple.