The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has deployed 20 ex-army personnel in the Ananda Bazara inside the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple to ensure that no stale Mahaparasad is sold to devotees.

The decision to engage army personnel at Ananda Bazara, the temple’s food mart, inside the shrine is part of the reform programme to streamline various operations inside the shrine.

Ananda Bazara, located in the northeast corner, is where the temple’s Mahaprasad is sold to devotees. Devotees are also permitted to partake of Mahaprasad here.

The security personnel in civil uniforms have been deployed in two shifts from 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm for the job.

The security officer in charge of Puri Shree Jagannath Temple, Jatin Panda
said: “We deployed them inside the Ananda Bazara from today and, with senior servitors’ help, checked the food quality. No servitor (sevayat) will be allowed to sell food that has not been offered to the Shree Jagannath Temple.”

Panda said: “We have already sensitised the ex-army personnel on how to work in coordination with the servitors of the temple and how to become polite and behave with the devotees.

“Our objective is to ensure that all the devotees coming to Puri to have a darshan at the temple get the right kind of Mahaprasad.”

The police officer said: “Those who have been recruited have the required experience in crowd management. They will help the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple in this
regard. In case there is a security issue inside the shrine, they will interfere, arrest the troublemakers, and hand them over to the Puri Shree Jagannath Temple.”

One of the ex-army officials deployed in the temple said: “We have been sensitised on how to deal with various issues, including the devotees. This is a great opportunity for us to serve the cause of Lord Jagannath.”

Devotees have also welcomed the decision of the temple management to deploy the ex-army officials inside the temple premises.

“Their presence in Ananda Bazara will instil confidence in us. At least we will get

the right kind of Mahaprasad. We are ready to pay a little more but want no stale food is sold to us,” said Ramakanta Behera, 53, a devotee, who works in a private company in the Keonjhar district of Odisha.