Sambalpur: Devotees Will Miss Out on Maa Samaleswari’s Annabhoga During Navratri; Trust Board’s Proposal Not Approved for Offering Bhoga
Sambalpur: For the past four years, devotees have been denied Maa Samaleswari’s sacred food offering, and this year will be no exception. Despite earlier hopes from the temple’s Trust Board to resume the offering of annabhoga (sacred food) during the Dussehra festival, it is now clear that this will not happen. The Trust Board’s plan to build a new bhoga house to offer food has yet to be approved by the endowment department, making it impossible to resume food offerings this year as well.
Growing Devotee Disappointment
Since the Samaleswari Project’s inception, the number of devotees visiting the shrine has grown significantly. This year marks the first Dussehra celebration since the project’s completion, and record-breaking crowds are expected. The Trust Board had made numerous preparations to accommodate these visitors, including improvements to the temple grounds. However, the lack of approval for the new bhoga house means that devotees will once again be disappointed.
COVID-19 Pandemic Impact and Delay in Construction
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent demolition work for the Samaleswari Project, the sale of sacred food has been halted for four years. Despite an increase in visitors, particularly during major festivals such as Dussehra, annabhoga distribution has yet to resume. Devotees, who were already disappointed during the recent Nuakhai festival, are likely to be even more disheartened during Navratri and Dussehra when the offerings will be unavailable.
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Plans to Build a New Bhog House Stalled
The Samaleswari Project has transformed the temple complex, adding new amenities like a shoe stand, selfie zone, riverside beautification, and an appealing park. The entire area, which spans 50 acres, now glows with decorative lights. However, the necessary construction of a new bhoga house has been entirely overlooked. The existing bhoga house was demolished as part of the project, but no new facility has been built to replace it.
Despite the Trust Board’s repeated requests to the Orissa Bridge & Construction Corporation (OBCC), the responsible construction agency, no progress has been made. The Trust Board had planned to use an existing shed as a temporary bhog house and had even budgeted INR 16 lakhs for the project. The board decided to handle the cooking and distribution of the offerings themselves because they had all of the necessary equipment.
However, due to a lack of approval from the endowment department, construction has yet to begin. As a result, Trust Board Chairman Sanjay Babu confirmed that chances of bhoga being served during Dussehra are slim.
Impact on Devotees’ Sentiments
The lack of sacred food offerings during the Nuakhai festival had already caused discontent among devotees, and if the situation persists through Dussehra, it may have a more profound emotional impact on them. Many believe that this will hurt the devotees’ feelings, especially during such a significant religious event.
