Maha Shivratri: Mahadeepa Lifting Ritual At Lord Lingaraj Temple Delayed By 3 Hrs
The annual lifting of the holy ‘Mahadeepa’ atop the famous Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar on the occasion of the Maha Shivratri got delayed today.
According to reports, the Mahadeepa lifting ritual has been delayed by 3 hours. The earlier schedule fixed for the raising of the Mahadeepa by the temple administration was 10 PM.
The delay in the holy ritual has spread outrage among the devotees who slammed the government and administration for the negligence. Devotees who had been observing the fast had to wait for extra 3 hours for the lifting of the ‘Mahadeepa’ to break their fast.
Member of the Lok Sabha, Aparajita Sarangi expressed discontent over the issue and attributed the delay to the Odisha government and administration’s negligence.
“This is so saddening. This should never happen. I have been informed that the ‘Mahadeepa’ lifting was conducted on time as per the ritual last year. But, this year, all the devotees in and around Bhubaneswar are eagerly waiting for the lifting of ‘Mahadeepa’ at Lingaraj Temple,” she said.
She further added, “This is all due to the sheer negligence and failure of the Odisha government and the administration. They should have met with the sevayats and held a discussion. There is nothing in Odisha that cannot be solved with discussion. There is sheer negligence.”
The temple administration had scheduled to lift the ‘Mahadeepa’ at 10 PM. However, the rituals associated with the festival were late by 3 hours and the lifting was conducted at around 1.08 AM late at night.
