Servitors Sit on Hunger Strike After Ancestral Cremation Ground Demolished

Protest at Sakhigopal Temple; Rituals Suspended

Servitors at the Sakhigopal Temple have launched a protest, suspending temple rituals and sitting on a hunger strike in front of the temple. According to reports, the construction of the Odia University is currently underway in Satyabadi, on land purchased by the Odisha government from the endowment property of Lord Gopinath, with construction being carried out under the supervision of OBCC (Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation).

For a long time, the ancestral cremation ground of the servitors has existed near the Panchasakha Memorial Site. Since this cremation ground is located close to the site of the upcoming university, OBCC had suggested relocating it elsewhere. However, before any alternative arrangement could be made, the cremation ground was demolished today.

There are also allegations that in the past, certain executive officers had sold areas such as the sacred Kaliyadalana pond and the Panchasakha playground, associated with Lord Sakshigopinath’s rituals.

While the servitors claim that the executive officer maliciously ordered the demolition, the OBCC executive officer has counter-alleged that the servitors were engaging in hooliganism and forcibly obstructing the work.

The servitors have vowed not to end their protest until the Radha Kunda (a ritual pond) and the ancestral cremation ground are restored, asserting their strong demand for justice.