Odisha Culture / Six Years Later, Will Puri’s Abadha Finally Get a Rate Chart?
Key Points
- Six years on, no fixed Abadha rate chart at Puri’s Anand Bazaar despite Supreme Court directive.
- Suar Mahasuar Nijog to meet on Dec 30 to finalize revised rates for Mahaprasad.
- Plan to introduce special and general categories of Abadha to suit devotees’ budgets.
Puri, Dec 22: Six years have passed since the Supreme Court directed the implementation of a fixed rate chart for Abadha (Mahaprasad) at the Jagannath Temple’s Ananda Bazaar. Yet, the decision remains unimplemented, fuelling growing dissatisfaction among devotees.
The Suara Mahasuara Nijoga, the body responsible for managing Mahaprasad distribution, is now actively deliberating on revising the Abadha prices. Rising costs of essential commodities have intensified the need for a new rate chart.
Preliminary discussions have already taken place with the 85 Abadha shopkeepers in Ananda Bazaar, and a formal notification has been issued.
A crucial meeting of the Nijoga’s management committee is scheduled for December 30, where the proposal for revised rates will be finalized. The Nijoga plans to submit the updated chart to the administration for approval.
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To balance affordability and tradition, the plan includes offering Abadha in two categories — “special” and “general” — so that devotees can choose according to their financial capacity.
Until a final decision is made, the existing rates will remain unchanged. However, the absence of a transparent rate chart since 2019 has allowed middlemen to exploit the situation, leading to resentment among devotees. Many complain that without fixed prices, they are forced to pay arbitrarily, which undermines the sanctity of the Mahaprasad system.
Devotees have urged that any decision must prioritize their
interests, ensuring fair pricing while preserving the temple’s traditions.
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