Orissa High Court Queries Puri District Administration About Steps Taken For Crowd Management At Alarnath Temple During ‘Anasara Darshan’

The Orissa High Court has ordered the Puri District administration to file affidavit pointing out the steps taken for crowd management and arrangements made for smooth and hassle-free ‘anasara darshan’ of Lord Alarnath starting from May 5, 2023 and which is slated to continue for upcoming two weeks.

The Vacation Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Murahari Sri Raman was hearing a writ petition filed seeking proper crowd management, arrangement of Darshan from Argali (space connected to narrow strip of Sanctum Sanctorum), providing facilities and maintaining law and order for the huge crowd gathering at the Alarnath Temple, Brahmagiri during anasara.

Alarnath Temple is a Hindu temple located in Brahmagiri, Puri which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It gets hugely crowded with devotees after the ‘Snana Purnima’ as devotees are not allowed to have darshan of Lord Jagannath in Puri temple.

After the ceremonial bath on the eve of ‘Snana Purnima’, the deities Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra (three siblings) are believed to be down with fever and they reside in ‘Anasara Ghara’, a place where the deities take treatment for fever, in Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri for two weeks before the Ratha Yatra (Car Festival).

During this period, popularly known as ‘Anasara’ or ‘Anavasara’, which means no opportunity to see the Lord of Puri, devotees believe that Lord Jagannath manifests Himself as Lord Alarnath Dev, at the Alarnath temple. It is also believed that the devotees can avail the same blessings and fortune of Jagannath darshan by having the darshan of Lord Alarnath.

Therefore, as a huge gathering of Hindu devotees are witnessed during these two weeks at the temple, the Court ordered,

“Let the learned State Counsel obtain instruction in the matter and file an affidavit indicating steps taken by the District Administration for crowd management and arrangement for smooth darshan of the deity which was commenced on 05.06.2023 and likely to continue for two weeks. Instruction shall also be taken regarding the provision made for safe and smooth entry into and exit from the temple, so also the regulatory measure taken by the temple administration/committee and also by the District Administration.”

The matter is now listed on May 8, 2023 for further hearing.

Case Title: Madhusudan Pujapanda v. State of Odisha & Ors.

Case No.: W.P.(C) No. 18116 of 2023

Counsel for the Petitioner: Mr. Laxmidhar Dash, Advocate

Counsel for the State: Mrs. Suman Pattnaik, Addl. Govt. Advocate

Click Here To Read/Download Order