CHAPTER-III

MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF

SHREE JAGANNATH TEMPLE

Management of Shree Jagannath Temple:

Jagannatha or the ‘Lord of the Universe’ is one of the
most famous deities of the Hindus. Pilgrims in large numbers
from all parts of India visit His famous temple at Puri in all
seasons. The fame of ‘the Lord and His Temple’ was well
known to the British long before their conquest of Odisha.
Therefore the marquis of Wellesley issued a specific direction
to Lt. Col. Campbell about the temple on August 3, 1803
when he ordered for the occupation of Odisha. He wrote to
Campbell: “On your arrival at Jaggarnaut, you will employ
every possible precaution to preserve the respect due to the
Pagoda, and to the religious prejudices of the Brahmins and
pilgrims. He also directed Campbell that in order to conciliate
the Brahmins they must be informed that “it is not your
intention to disturb the actual system of collections at the
Pagoda….. that they will not be required to pay any other
revenue or tribute to the British Government than that which
they may have been in the habit of paying to the Mahratta
Government, and that they will be protected in the exercise of
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their religious duties”1. Welleslley detected such a policy of
religious toleration in order to conciliate the Hindus, who
constituted almost the entire population of Odisha, and thus
paved the way for a smooth conquest of the province. This
liberal policy remained the keystone of the British
management of the Temple of Jagannath.

During the period from 1803 to 1810, considerable

thought was given to prepare a general policy for the
management of the temple. After some experiments and
proper investigations, comprehensive regulation, the
regulation 4 of 1809, was adopted by the Governor-General in
Council, on April 28, 1809. It brought about a new system of
control and superintendence of the temple. It vested the
superintended of the temple and its internal economy, the
conduct and management of its affairs and the control over
priests, officers and servants attached to the temple in the Raja
of Khurda who was to be guided by the recorded rules of the
temple or by ancient and established usage on all occasions.
The Raja and his successors were to hold the position so long
as they continued to conduct themselves with ‘integrity,
diligence and propriety’.

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 ThePeggs,
1. James pilgrims, liable
India’s to British
cries to pay the tax, were
Humanity, p85.divided into 4
classes. The pilgrims of first class or ‘laljatris’ were required
to pay 10 rupees if they were coming from Northern India and
6 rupees if they were coming from the Deccan. The pilgrims
of second class or ‘mimlas’ were required to pay in the same
way 5 rupees and 3 rupees respectively. The pilgrims of third
class or ‘bhurungs’ were required to pay 2 rupees only from
whatever direction they came. Lastly, the pilgrims of fourth
class or ‘punjtirthees’, who were not permitted to enter the
temple but allowed to perform their ceremonies outside it,
were also required to pay two rupees. It was provided that the
pilgrims would be permitted to enroll themselves under
whichever class they might prefer on payment of the
prescribed rate of tax and also separate provisions were made
for different classes of pilgrims in the performance of their
religious ceremonies.

The regulation directed the collector of tax to give every

attention to the religious opinions of the Hindus at all times in
consistent with the general regulations and with the
maintenance of peace and good order at the temple and its

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vicinity. Except some minor changes, the regulation IV of
1809 remained in force till 1840. Thus, within seven years of
British occupation of Odisha, the authorities had succeeded in
framing a set of rules and formulating a general policy for
management of the Temple of Jagannatha.

Large number of pilgrims visited the temple throughout

the year. The principal festival of Jagannatha, the Car
Festival, generally attracted the maximum number of
pilgrims. At the Car Festival, generally attracted the
maximum number of pilgrims. At the Car Festival in July
1825, the number was stated to be 25,000 Hunter remarked
that “the register number itself seldom represented one-half of
the actual total that crept into the city unperceived…. The
number that daily flocks in an out of the holy city nearly
50,000 a year, and sometimes amounts to 300,000.

The income from the pilgrim tax formed an important

item in the British revenue from Odisha. Deducting total
annual expenses of the temple, it was estimated that the net
receipts from the tax was on an average about 502 thousand
rupees. However, the pilgrim tax was generally used for the

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interest of the temple rather than as a source of revenue to the
Government. A better road over the old route from the
northern border of Odisha to Puri was constructed for the
advantage of the pilgrims by 1825. In 1827 several ‘sarais’ or
rest-houses were erected at Bhadrak, Akhuapada, Balsore,
Basta and Rajghat. The Government planted grooved of
mango and other trees to afford shade to pilgrims. The
zamindars were asked to plant such groves along the road
where it passed through their estates.

The management of a Hindu temple by a Christian

Government was obnoxious in the eyes of devout Christians.
The Bapist Missionary society undertook the work at Puri in
right earnest from 1823 with the belief that, “a blow at
Idolatry here, will prove a blow at the root”. William
Bampton and then Sutton preached the Gospels at Puri and
denounced the worship of Jagannath publicly which only led
to violent opposition. It was not possible for them to influence
so easily the faith of people which had been moulded by age-
old customs and religious feelings. Bampton died at Puri in
1830 and Sutton left the place in 1832. The missionary station
was not regularly occupied after that failure. The missionaries

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laid entire blame on the shoulders of the Government because
of the conviction that “the support and protection of
Government is the great bulwark of Juggernaut’s strength and
the all prevailing plea for his divinity”. In their views, the
pilgrim tax was a great slur on the good name of the Christian
Government. It was inhuman, impolitic and unchristian, “I
imagine”, said Stirling “the ceremony would soon cease to be
conducted on its present scale and footing.”, if the institution
was left entirely to its fate and to its own resources, by the
officers of British Government. In 1825 the Bapist Missionary
Society decided to put pressure on the home government and
presented petition to the House of Commons and the court of
Directors against ‘British support of Hindoo Idolatry’. They
steadily pursued the matter, and in course of a few years, their
efforts were crowned with ‘considerable success.

Charlesgrant, president of the Board of control in Lord

Grey’s ministry (1830-34) considered the whole question
connected with the pilgrim tax in India in a different light. He
was convinced that the Government with best of intentions,
had allowed its allowed its toleration to fructify into active
patronage of idolatry, and that the support given by the state

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might be much relaxed without any breach of existing
obligations. He was determined, in conjunction of the court of
Directors, to instruct the Government of India to take some
decisive steps to modify the whole perspective regarding the
pilgrim tax and the management of temples in India.
Accordingly, a dispatch was prepared which received the
signature of the Court of Directors on February 20, 1833.

At Jagannatha a large amount of tax was realized and

spent for the Deity. The Court of Directors pointed out that,
“from being simply conservators of the public peace at certain
numerous assemblages of the people, we have become the
chief agents in sustaining an idol establishment. In every way
we became parties to the accounts and general management of
the establishment including the supervision and disposal of its
revenue”. Naturally the Government appeared before the
people of the country “ In such intimate connection with the
unhappy and debasing superstitions in question, as almost
necessarily to inspire the people with belief that either that we
admit the divine origin of those superstitions, or at least we
ascribe them some peculiar and venerable authority”. Finally,
the court of Directors communicated certain important

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guidelines to the Government of India that (1) the pilgrim tax
shall everywhere be abolished; (2) that the fines and offerings
shall no longer be considered as sources of revenue by the
British Government, and they shall consequently no longer be
collected or received y the servants to the East India company;
(3) that in all matters relating to their temples their worship,
their festivals, their religious practices, their ceremonial
observances our native subjects be left entirely to themselves;
and (4) that in every case in which it had been found
necessary to form and keep up a police force, specially with a
view to the peace and security of the pilgrims or the
worshippers, such police shall hereafter be maintained and
made available out of the general resources of the country.

In spite of such categorical direction, the Government

slept over the matter for long five years. The question was
again raised in the parliament, and John Hobbouse, the
president of the Board of Control, was forced to make a
declaration on the matter that another dispatch would be sent
to India as to render it impossible for any functionary there to
make a mistake. Accordingly, in August 1838 another
dispatch was sent to India regarding the abolition of pilgrim

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tax in India. (10) Lord Auckland, the Governor-general, took
prompt action on the matter. On April 20, 1840, an Act (Act
10 of 1840) was passed to abolish the exaction of all taxes and
fees upon pilgrims resorting to Allahabad, Gaya and Puri. The
raja of Khurda “shall not receive or allow to be received by
any person connected with the said temple, any payment,
other than such voluntary donations as may be freely offered,
from any person resorting to the said temple for the
performance of religious ceremonies.” From May 3, 1840, the
collection of tax from pilgrims actually ceased in the Temple
of Jagannatha. (11) Thus ended one significant phase in the
British relation with the temple. The Christian Government no
longer played the role of Church Warden, of a Hindu deity.
The gates of the temple were thrown open to the pilgrims
without realization of any tax from them.

The abolition of pilgrim tax, however, did not sever the

British connection with the temple of Jagannatha. The
Government still paid fixed amount of Rs. 56,342 to the Raja
for management of the temple. The temple lands were
managed directly by the Government, and the net proceeds
from the those lands to the temple, the Government donation

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was reduced to Rs. 36,178 per annum. Such a big amount of
the Government donation from the public treasury for
maintenance of the temple provoked the Christian
Missionaries to raise a hue and cry once again. A. J.M. Mills,
the commissioner of Cuttack was of the opinion that the
Government was bound in faith and injustice to pay the
established donation for support of the temple. After
prolonged discussion, it was decided that in lieu of an annual
grant to the temple, some lands in the district of Puri yielding
an equal amount of revenue should be handed over to the
temple authorities by 1863 all payments to the management of
the temple finally ceased.2

In 1859 Raja Birakishore Deb, the Superintendent of the

temple, died childless. He had adopted a child of four years of
age only a few hours before his death. In his will he had
empowered his wife to manage the affairs of the temple as
usual. The Government accepted the arrangement. Thus, from
1860, the temple administration was headed by Rani
Suryamani Patmahadei, the widow of Raja Birakishor Deb,
though according to the traditional system, the minor boy was
known as Raja Divyasingha Deb and the Anka calculation

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began in his name. For about 12 years the temple
administration was run almost without any complaint. But the
problem began the Raja Divyasingha Deb took over the direct
management.

In 1875 four pieces of stone had fallen from inside the

2. P. from
temple Mukherjee,
heightHistory of above
of 40ft. the Jagannath Temple
the level and in
there were
the 19th century, Calcutta, 1977, pp 60-76.
several dangerous cracks on the walls. There were also cracks
in the ceiling which was supported by iron beams. The
Assistant Engineer who inspected the damaged done to the
temple, reported on August 5, 1875 as follows:

“As there is chance of more stone falling in I would,

therefore, suggest that the temple should be left wholly
unused, and the idols removed elsewhere, till the place is
made perfectly safe and sound by executing the necessary
repairs”. This view was also endorsed by the European
Executive Engineer. However, the Raja made necessary
alternative arrangements and placed the idols in front of the
Anasar Bedi adjoining the main temple. The pilgrims, the
Raja reported, had no difficulty in visiting the temple for

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performance of ritual ceremonies and daily offerings. By
March 1876 the repair works were over.

In October 1875, the Raja drew the attention of the

Government to some problem of management of the temple.
The income derived from the revenues of the Mahals allotted
for the purpose was quite insufficient to meet the expenses.
The annual net deficit was of about 15 thousand rupees and it
was defrayed from the personal income of the Raja. He
suggested some measures to improve the financial condition
of the temple 14 and probably enforced them to meet the
expenses borne by him.

A few months later some Sebakas of the temple

submitted a petition to the Commissioner in order to draw his
attention to some instances of the mismanagement of the
affairs of the temple by the Raja 15. It was alleged that the
Raja had appointed some persons from families not connected
with those works by taking bribes. The petitioners even
complained that the Raja had assaulted some former sebakas.
On the whole, the Raja had violated the recorded rules,
ancient usages and customs connected with the temple. The

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public looked upon the Government as the ‘only savior of the
institution from ruin’ 16. The Government had transferred full
control of the temple affairs to the Raja and consequently T.E.
Ravenshaw, the commissioner, pleaded his inability to interior
in the matter and the Raja was left to manage the temple as
best as he could. But it was obvious that the young Raja had
seriously antagonized a section of the priests and attendants of
the temple. The situation was heading towards a crisis.

In early 1877, two festivals came in close proximity and

brought large number of pilgrims to the temple. The crowd
was not properly controlled and in the rush which occurred at
the gate at least 11 persons were crushed to death on two
occasions. The Raja was held responsible for the accident. His
apathy, neglect and want of control over his subordinates, the
Lieutenant Governor was shown in withholding temporarily
the title of Maharaja notified in January, 1877. 17 The local
officers are also blamed for their lack of foresight and
preparedness. The Commissioner was required to submit a
scheme for regulating the large number of pilgrims to the
temple. But before any scheme for better management of the
temple affairs could be initiated, Raja Divyasingha Deb was

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arrested on a criminal charge of murder. Siva das, the
Mahanta of a Math at Damodarpur, has accused the Raja and
his servants for inflicting serious injuries before his death on
10th March 1878. On 11th March the Raja and his servants
were committed to the trial under section 302 of IPC. The
special trial was held at Cuttack by the Sessions Judge who
sentenced the Raja and four of his servants to transportation
for life. The Calcutta High Court also confirmed the sentence
of transportation on the Raja and two of his servants. He was
sent to Andamans stealthily.3

There was a sharp reaction among the god-fearing people

of Orissa who regarded the raja as a part and parcel of the
Jagannatha cult. Petitions were submitted to exonerate the
Raja from the punishment. But it was of no avail. The exile of
Divyasigh Dev created problems of immense difficulties for
the Government regarding the management of the temple.
Two courses were open to the British authorities, such as (1)
to treat the onfant son of Divyasingh Dev as the successor to
his father and to leave the management in the hands of Rani
Suryamani; or (2) to vest the management in a committee with
the Raja as the hereditary president. The proposed second

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course raised a storm of protest in Orissa. In July 1882, Rani
Suryamani also petitioned the Government against the
proposed sep. “You will be graciously pleased”, she imposed.
“to retain the superintendent ship of the holy temple in our
family as and was heretofore done”.

The minor son of Divyasingh Dev was now called Raja

3. P. Mukherjee, History of the Jagannath Temple in
Mukunda thDeb. Rani Suryamani observed, “we have,
the 19 century, pp 191-200.
according to our family custom, been compelled to put our
grandson on the gaddee as Mukunda Deb. If the Government
does not recognize our grandson, we will be put to shame and
the Hindu religion will be undermined”. The Government
finally accepted her views and decided to recognize the title.
On the 22nd March 1884, Lord Ripon issued the sanad from
Simla and conferred the title of Raja as a personal distinction.

But in spite of the title being vested on the minor Raja,

the Government was aware that he would not come of age for
long 14 years. A proposal for the appointment of a committee
and a pain manager to supervise and control the affairs of the
temple was approved by the Governor-General in Council in
February 1885. In an interim order in early 1887 Ragunandan

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Ramanuj Das, the Mahanta of Emar Math, was appointed
honorary receiver by the court. One assistant receiver and
tahasildar were also appointed at the same time to look after
the temple properties. Such a measure led to hue and cry in
different quarters of Orissa. Protest meetings were organized
at several places and people decried the interference of the
Government in their most sacred religious institution, like the
Temple of Jagannatha. Rani Suryamani filed a writ petition in
the Calcutta High Court on the legal advice of Madhu Sudan
Das and fortunately the court decreed the appeal against the
Government order towards the end of March 1887. The
decision was widely welcomed by the people of Orissa.

After the court decree in favour of Rani Suryamani, the

Government desired to make a compromise in the original suit
for appointment of a committee to manage the temple affairs.
After prolonged negotiation the parties moved a compromise
petition in the court of District Judge of Cuttack on October 3,
1888 and the court passed the decree on December 15, 1888
(20). Rani Suryamani continued to administer the affairs of
the temple with the help of a competent manager. It was a
victory for her claim to retain the effective control of the

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temple administration in the family of the Raja. Such an
arrangement continued till 1897 when Mukunda Deb took
over the direct management of the temple.

However, Mukunda Deb failed to become a competent

administrator. Complaints of negligence continued and the
problem became acute with the opening of the railways by the
end of the 19th Century. It resulted in a constant flow of
pilgrims to Puri at all seasons instead of some great festivals
as before. The Raja did not strengthen the temple staff to meet
the new influx of pilgrims and consequently an accident
occurred in the temple on 20 October 1901 during the
Durgapuja days. Two persons died on the spot and five others
were severely injured in the rush of the crowed inside the
innermost sanctuary of the temple. Eventually, Raja was
persuaded to improve the management and with his consent a
senior deputy magistrate was appointed in 1902 for proper
conduct of the administration4.

The management of Jagannatha temple reflected a very

significant part of the religious policy of the British colonial
power in India. In its initial phase, they boldly continued to

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maintain the tradition of the former Government and upheld
the prevalent system. Such a policy was deliberately followed
to conciliate the Hindu Public opinion. But in course of time
the policy of toleration was modified and the temple was left
to be managed by its hereditary Superintendent. However, for
public interest, the Government did not hesitate to interfere
and to take necessary steps for better management of the
temple.

REPAIR AND CONSERVATION OF THE

JAGANNATHA TEMPLE
The temple of Jagannatha was the most important
religious institution in Orissa in the pre-British period. Kings
in the medieval period for power-legitimation and state
formation patronized this temple and that contributed to their
considerable successor and stabilized their rule. The English
East India Company after the stupendous temple of
Jagannatha became a part of the cultural policy of the
company in Orissa and later on of the British crown. In this
chapter we have presented the problem of the conservation of
the temple in the pre-British period as a background to our
study. In this dissertation, we have given an account of the

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repair and conservation of the temple during the British period
on the basis of the documentary evidences.

Puroshottama-Jagannatha being the presiding deity of the

great Orissan Empire the maintenance of this temple must
have been an important responsibility of the rulers. But as the
temple was a new structure during the Ganga period, the
question of its repair did not arise during the period of the
Ganga kings and most likely the Suryavamsi kings took steps
for its repair. The temple has an outer wall (Meghanada
Prachira) which was made during the period of the famous
Gajapati king Kapilendra Dev probably for the preservation of
the temple. It helped the temple from outside adverse forces.

According to Stilring-
“Many dire omens preceded and announced his arrival
(the arrival of Kalapahar) in the province; amongst others a
large stone fell from the submit of the great tower of the
temple Puri.”

The temple was not given considerable care during the

last phase of the Suryavamsi Gajapati period and more

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particularly during the period of Mukunda Deva before the
Afgan invasion. Successive coats of plaster had been applied
to the temple during the period of the Bhoi king Vira Keshari
Deva (A.D. 1737-1793). According to Madalapanji the Pata
Mahadevi (chief queen) of this king had applied lime plaster
to the bada deula the great Jagannatha temple. This is also
corroborated by a statement in Anuraga Kalpalata which was
composed by shyama Sundar Deva, a son of king Vira
Keshari Deva. It is mentioned that the world became empty of
lime when the bada deula was plastered at the instance of the
queen and that in order to meet the requirements couryshells
had to be burnt. Repair of the great temple was also a part of
the religious policy of the Marathas which is clearly known
from the interesting report of G. Webb to sir G.H. Barlow
Baronet, the president and member of the Board of revenue,
Fort William. The report which was submitted on the 19 th
December 1807 states about the repair of the temple was
formerly (during the period of the Marathas) defrayed by an
Abwaub denominated Kurreembeeran (Kurmabedha). It
appears to be not fixed in its amount and the gross amount of
collection for that purpose was also not known. The Abwaub
was consolidated with the land revenue.5

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 During the period of the British, the repair of the temple
became very necessary despite the efforts taken before. In a
letter to C. Groeme, collector of Puri on the 12 th March 1805 a
petition for the repair of the temple was presented. According
to this letter a copy of a petition was transmitted to the board
of commissionaires. The petition was presented by Kishun
Chund
5. R.L.soliciting the permission
Mitra, Antiquities of Odisha,and
Vol the aid of the
II, 1963,
pp 192-196.
Government to repair a part of the inside of the temple of
Jagannatha. This proposal could not be translated into action
due to priestly opposition. A part of the pilgrim tax in the
Purushottama Kshetra was utilized for the repair of the
temple.

Coats of lime plaster were applied to the temple during

this phase of the British rule. A loose correspondence in the
list of the documents of the Board of Revenue states that
Baidyanath Chudhuri of Calcutta gave a proposal for the
repair of the temple of Jagannatha in 1823. Acoording to
Madalapanji during the 9th anka of Ramachandra Deva
(Successor of Mukunda Deva) Chaudhuri Baidyanath could
apply coats of lime to the temple. Pakenham, the Collector of

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Cuttack, also had written to the commissioner that he had
received a petition from Baidyanath Chaudhuri about his
desire for repairing the temple of Jagannatha at an expense of
forty to fifty thousand rupees. The petition states that
Chaudhuri wanted permission for doing so and that the
officers of the Government would assist in course of the work.
He asked the collector to recommend a person to superintend
the work whom he was willing to pay up to rupees 250 per
month. Pakenham recommended Sub-Lieutenant Macgregor,
formerly of the Cuttack Leigion. During this period the
superintendent of Tributary Mahals was requested for
necessary arrangement for the materials for the repair of the
temple. It was decided that iron would be collected from
Talcher, bamboo from Anugul and wood from Daspalla for
the repair of the Jagannatha temple.

Despite this effort stones began to fall from the temple.

According to James Fergusson:-

News reached this country about thirty-two years (A.D.

1842) ago of curious accident having happened in this temple.
Just after the gods have been removed from their Simhasana

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(throne) to take their annual excursion to the Gundicha-ghar,
some stones of the roof fell in and would have killed many
attendants and smashed their gods had they fortunately not all
been absent.

W.R. Green, acting District superintendent of Police,

Puri, in a correspondence to the Magistrate of the Puri on the
9th July 1675 had stated about the dilapidated condition of the
temple. The latter stated that just after the Jagannatha images
were removed for the Ratha Yatra from the great hall of the
Jagannatha temple the large blocks of the stone fell down
from the inside wall. Fortunately the images were at the
Gundicha-bari temple and consequently no one was there.
The platform erected to take down the images and bring them
on to the cars had been completely broken. The place was
reported as dangerous. The superintendent had placed two
constables, one at the doors to prevent persons from going in
more than one or two at a time to see. He wanted to
recommend that the superintendent of the temple should be
ordered to have the necessary repairs made at once and should
be finished by the time the gods return and that the
superintendent of the temple should be prohibited from having

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these images placed in that hall of the temple. He also
suggested that the temple would be at once surveyed by a
Hindu Officer of the Public Works Department, (25). He
reported that on 7th July a pilgrim had applied to a Pundah for
leave to see the throne of Juggernnath (Jagannath) which is
situated at the great dome. On opening the door a huge stone
said to be seven haths (seven hands) in length was found lying
shivered on the floor. It had fallen from the roof. It is possible
that other stone might have fallen in the same way inside the
dome. It was daily crowed with people. He wanted immediate
action on this matter. He suggested that a thorough
examination of the building was necessary. The upper part of
the dome was always in darkness and none could tell what
might happen. There was no ventilation and owing to the
foulness of the atmosphere common light would not burn in
the upper part of the dome. The commissioner took up the
matter and wrote to the Executive Engineer, Orissa Division
on this matter. The Executive Engineer then wrote to the
Magistrate of Puri on 16th, July which has been quoted here.

In compliance with this Commissioner’s request just

intimated to me. I have the honour to inform you that assistant

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Engineer Baboo Purna Chandra Sircar will reach Puri on
Sunday and will be prepared to inspect the temple on Mondy
morning in company with any officer whom you may depute
for the purpose. The Assistant Engineer will then call on you
and report where there is any further danger to be
apprehended and if there would be what should be to remove
them.

The letter of the Commissioner of the Orissa Division

about the repair of the temple of Jagannatha was accepted by
the officiating Secretary to the Government of Bengal Judicial
Department who stated:

His honour also approves of the further action taken by

you in requesting the Magistrate to proceed under chapter 39
of the Procedure Code and to call on the raja of Pooree as
superintendent of the temple to have the necessary repairs of
the buildings executed at once, and to place the idols on their
return from the Ratha Yatra cars in some suitable and safe
part of the temple where the safety of the visitors will not be
endangered until such time as the repairs of the main temple
are complete. I am to add that the Secretary to this

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Government in the Public works Department will be requested
to arrange if possible for the transfer of a Hindu officer of that
Department of Pooree, in place of the Muhammaedan
overseer now there with a view to a proper and re liable
survey of the temple buildings being made and repairs
executed at the expenses of the Raja of Pooree.

The officiating Assistant Secretary to the Government of

Bengal in the Public Works Department in a letter to the
superintending Engineer of the Western Circle on 5 th August
1875 stated about the repair of the temple (29). The letter
stated that the Superintending Engineer would instruct the
Executive engineer of the Orissa Division to depute at once
Baboo Purna Chandra Sircar, Assistant Engineer, II Grade,
attached to the Cuttack district, to Pooree, to inspect and
submit a careful report on the State of the dome of the temple
of Jagannatha and the other buildings connected with it which
were said to be in a dilapidated condition. The Executive
Engineer and the Assistant Engineer submitted a report on the
condition of the Jagannatha temple at Puri.6

Remarks by the Executive Engineer

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 As the temple is not accessible to Europeans I have been
obliged to get all my information from the Assistant Engineer
who has inspected and submitted the foregoing report on the
Jagannatha temple.
1. The portion of the Jagannatha temple from which the
stones have lately fallen is the apartment in which the
idols are placed. The room is 28 feet square, the walls 20
feet thick and 40 feet height to the spring of the ceiling
with one entrance to it through a passage 12 feet long
and 10 feet wide. The roof consists of (it is said) 3 domes
formed by projecting each course of stones a foot. The
lowest or the first dome is formed by seven courses of
stone which rising 10 feet and overhanging 7 feet on
6. Jagannath Temple Correspondence Part I, pp 20-29.
each side are connected at their submit with three or four
huge slabs of stone resting horizontally on their
overhanging corbelled supports which they cap, thus
showing a ceiling with a flat surface at top 14 feet
square. There stones are helped to carry their own weight
across the space (14 feet wide).
2. The stones lately fallen formed a portion of the
corbelling of the first or the lowest dome and stood at the

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 angle where the vaulted roof of the passage joins the
dome of the roof.
3. It is remarkable that the four stones now shown to have
lately fallen will not make up much more than 1/3 of the
wanting portion in the roof which would required several
additional ones. It is thus plain that these are the only
stones that have fallen and probably the first fell when
the building was struck by lightning.
4. There can be no doubt that the roof is in a dangerous
condition and cannot be thoroughly repaired until every
overhanging stone has restored to it that support which it
had from those originally placed beneath it.
5. It would be interesting to an antiquarian and modern
architect to penetrate the several domes which cover this
temple. Doubtless many cracks would reveal themselves
as the work of the many centuries through which this
shrine has stood. But the narrow stone steps projected
from the wall inside and which seem to give access at
least to the top of the first dome, begin at a height of 40
feet above the floor in fact at the top of the wall instead
of the foot of it. In the dense darkness and be grinned
with the soot of ever burning lamps and filth of mypiods

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 of bats who have held undisputed possession for
centuries, these steps can be approached only with the
aid of a lofty scaffolding lighted up by numerous torches,
since the four stones in question have fallen some men
were sent up these steps to penetrate the vault over the
first dome, with a view to ascertain what facilities could
be found for repairing the damage the roof had sustained.
They took the opportunity of sweeping down several
carts of loads of filth deposited by the flying inhabitants
of these regions which seem quite prepared to fulfill the
scriptural prediction and to assume the sole charge of the
idols below.
6. It is worthy of note that the ruins of Black Pagodah at
Konaruck plainly indicate a catastrophe having be fallen
it similar to that which seems to be threatening the great
temple at Pooree. From the jumbled mass of huge and
numerous stones which strew the floor inside and the
projecting and the broken remains of the corbelling
above denote that its first and the lowest dome had
crashed it and thus remained a ruin to this day. Such a
structural fracture would of course necessitate in a

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 building of this king the demolition of the whole and its
reconstruction.
7. As the particular and the only point of enquiry for which
I have been requested by the Commissioner to depute a
competent Hindoo Officer to inspect the building as to
report whether it is unsafe. I requested the Assistant
Engineer to extend his inspection to the other structures
within the temple enclosure and from this report it
appears that there are several of these which are equally
if not more dangerous to the pilgrims which frequent
them and that the general condition of the temple
buildings is such that it should be entirely closed to
pilgrims for through repairs, or that measures should be
taken toward every pilgrim of the dangerous condition of
the same. They rusty iron beams and interlaced roots of
large and numerous trees growing in the walls are slowly
it may be but nevertheless surely contributing to render
them more unsafe daily and must culminate in a
catastrophe of which the Black Pagodah has been a
moment for ages past.

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 The repair of the Jagannatha temple became a focal point
of discussion in the last three decades of the 19 th century.
Utkal Dipika, an important Oriya weekly of this period,
presented the problem in a clear and empathetic manner.
According to Utkal Dipika of August 7, 1875, after the report
of Assistant Engineer known by the public the Maharaja of
Puri (Divyasigha Deva) sent a letter in his signature for the
repair of the temple to different nobleman who also could
gather at the temple. A great meeting was held there. The
question of the repair of the temple became the key issue and
the members first of all wanted to know whether the repair of
the temple was legitimate. It was also questioned where the
idols would be placed in case of a thorough repair of the
temple. There was a heated discussion about this issue and the
meeting could not come to an agreed solution. Lastly it was
decided make necessary repairs of the temple. The Maharaja,
Mahanta Narayan Das and Pandit Gopinatha Mishra wanted
that the images would be placed in the Jagmohan till the
completion of the repair of the main temple. But contrary to
this opinion the sevakas and other Mahantas wanted to
complete the repair of the temple even when the images were
in the main throne of the temple. The second group wanted

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that they would make a bhadi (platform) upon the head of the
deity (mahapravoo) and would complete the bhoga
immediately, but in reality it was a dangerous proposal. If
suddenly during that period a stone fell, it would definitely
break the platform and it would have great consequence. The
Maharaja could not accept this proposal and stated that the
priests would have to take the permission of the Government
for worshipping the idols on the throne (simhasana) during
the phase of the main repair of the temple. The priests also
wrote to the Government regarding this problem. Ultimately
The Maharaja ordered to place the idols on the anasaravedi
during the time of the repair. But it was not accepted. Both the
Raja and Sevakas sent their petitions to the magistrate at
Khurda. The magistrate after considering the two petiotions
gave the verdict that the temple was completely under the
Raja and his order to place the idols would only be
acceptable. At this the sevakas become silent. In spite of this
order the controversy about the exact place of worship of the
deities during the period of the repair of the temple continued.
But the repair of the temple was very necessary and it was to
be completed very soon by the help of a Hindu Engineer (33).
In different parts of Orissa this condition of the deity and the

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temple created fear and anxiety and people apprehended
unexpected danger due to this (34). Due to this controversial
issue the repairing work could not be undertaken till the end
of October 1875.

The official secretary to the Government of Bengal

(Judicial Department) made another correspondence to the
commissioner of the Orissan Division on tour on the 13 th
September about the repair which may be quoted here-

I am directed to forward herewith a copy of a memo. For

the Assistant Secretary to the Public Works Department of
this Government No. 4361, dates the 20th August with
enclosures submitting a report on the state of the temple of
Juggarnath and the buildings connected with it and with
reference thereto I am to request your opinion as to the course
which should be pursued with a view to render the buildings
safe. I am also to request that you will be so good as to report
on the action which was already been taken by the magistrate
of the district to have the necessary repairs of the temple
executed by the Raja of Pooree and its results.

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 The Raja of Puri sent his report to the magistrate of Puri
on 18th October 1875. The officiating magistrate of Puri sent a
translation of the report of the Raja of Puri on the measures
taken by him for the present safety of the temple. The
translated version is as follows. “With the reference to your
order calling upon me to report the safety of the temple of
Juggarnath the arrangements made for the convenience of the
pilgrims and the permanent safety of the temple by which
accidents may be avoided, the steps already adopted for the
prevention of the same and the annual income of the temple I
beg to report therein as follows-

1st. The part of the main temple inside, where large

stones have fallen is very high. The stones already fallen are
very large and similar stones are required to be taken for
repair. There is also danger of more stones falling in when
work will commence for repairing the broken part. I have
constructed threefold scaffolding consisting of large wood
timbers suitable to carry up and down the large stones
required for the purpose with Facility.
2nd. Stones are now being cut by the masons but in your
previous parwanah it was ordered that Hindu overseer will

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inspect the work. If the work after being completed are not to
his liking and choice, then I shall be put too much trouble and
expense, therefore I request that if an overseer is deputed
before the commencement of the work then everything will be
done according to his arrangements and delectation and there
will be so alternation or inconvenience in future. The idols are
now placed in front of the anasara vedi in the temple next
adjoining the main one. The pilgrims have no difficulty in
seeing the idols and the performance of the ritual ceremonies
and daily offerings. The environs of the temple within the first
enclosure called Kurum Bedha and the second enclosure
called Meghanada Prachira are being cleaned. I am trying my
best to make the offerings for the idols with the good and pure
articles. I shall have to undergo the expense of pretty repairs
required for time to time. The main temple is in a dilapidated
stage and I cannot ascertain what will it cost in repairing it
thoroughly. I have already spent more than Rs. 600 in
constructing a scaffolding.
3rd. There are several minor temples within the environs
of the temple which are in a dilapidated state and are very
old, and are likely to be fallen down if not immediately
repaired. All the covenanted and uncovenanted officers direct

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me from time to time to repair the same. I cannot obliged to
repair some expense is also required for the same. I being sick
of excess expenditure every year was thinking of bringing the
matter to your notine. But to my good luck I have been called
upon by Government to submit the account, which if
compared with the papers of the old record will no doubt
verify the truth of my saying.
4th. For the excess and the heavy cost requires for the
repair of the temple I have proposed the adoption of the
following measures:
(i) All the pilgrims coming to Pooree give some money as
Atika upon the Konika Baikoonth (a temple within the
second enclosure of the temple towards the left hand
side of the north gate of the temple) for the offerings
of the idols, but the Pandas instead of giving a single
pice for the offerings apply them to their private use.
Government will depute somebody to keep an account
of such gifts and collect them.
(ii) All the sums collected from the lodging houses
standing on Amrutamanohi land are credited to
lodging fund. If the above expenses will not meet from
these heads and I shall be liable to defray all the

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 expenses then it will be very hard against me and the
work cannot be performed sooner.

The repairing work started and it was completed by June,

1876 (38). The Assistant Engineer P. C. Sircar came to Puri to
inspect the work of repair and he was satisfied with the repair
of the temple. He gave a report about the repair of the temple
which can be reproduced here7.
1. The repairs of the injured portion of the temple of
Jagannatha have been executed by extending the span of
the parts roof at its junction with the main roof by
removing the two top most stones on either side (the
stones measuring 35/12X3X11/2 and 32/3X3X1½ ) and
then by chiseling off the stones in the tower courses
which were overhanging and injured, using as new
stones and giving greater projections in the second
corbelling course than hitherto adopted in the temple.
This portion of the roof is supported huge blocks of
stones extending one end to the other, and the greatest
offset given is 2 feet on the average. The offset given to
the third, 4th and 5th courses are like the ordinary
projections of the roof stones, viz 1-2”. The position of
7. Jagannath Temple Correspondence Part, V, pp 1107-
Page | 127
1115.
 the several courses as they now stand is known in the
accompanying plan.
2. It will thus be seen that the strength of this portion of the
roof is weaker than the rest. There does not however
appear any immediate apprehension of danger by more
stones coming down from this injured portion of the roof,
and there are at present no cracks to be seen, though
nearly two months have elapsed since the repairs have
been complete.
3. It must nevertheless be remembered that the general
condition of the temple is not good, standing as it is for
ages without undergoing any repairs. There are, as stated
in the previous reports good many large cracks all around
the temple which can be seen from the outside and the
roots of peepal and Bar trees have gone into two cracks
extending themselves daily in almost every direction.
The action of these roots may any day cause injury to
any portion of the temple much more to the weak
proportion reported upon. Hence it is impossible for
anyone to certify that everything is safe and sound and
that there is no probability of any danger coming on
some day or other.

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 4. It now rests on the higher authorities to judge whether
the Gods may be replaced in the temple and I solicit that
the opinion of the Executive Engineer be consulted in the
matter, as he had\s had all necessary information
regarding the condition of the temple since the late
danger occurred.

The Utkal Dipika also refers to the report of the

Assistant Engineer P. C. Sircar on the repair of the temple
(40). The idols on the throne were placed on their return from
their Gundicha-Ghar (41). In spite if this repair there was no
improvement on the condition of the temple. Utkal Dipika
stated that a committee was constructed for the repair of the
temple of Jagannatha in 1884 (42).

Baboo Harmoahan ray was the Secretary and the

Treasure of the Sabha. The purpose of the Sabha was to
collect money for the repair of the temple and it sent Munshi
Kashinath Das to outside places for collection. By the effort
of Kashinath, the Raja of Ranpur had sent Rs. 20 and it was
expected to get more amount for the sacred purpose. Many
people of Puri could not then appreciate this work of the

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committee because they thought that the repair of the temple
was the task of the Raja of Puri. They again thought that
probably the important persons who made this committee had
no faith on the Raja regarding the repair of the temple and the
king might not take active interest in the collection of money
and in the management of the expenses for the work of repair.
Again the king might not like to appeal the people for money
for the repair of the temple, as it was not the usage of the
royal family. Hence the formation of the committee was
essentional for the immediate work (44). On 26 th February
1834 in Utkal Dipika Brij Kumar Ghosh made an appeal to
the Mahants and rich people residing in the Purushottam
Kshetra to donate money for the repair of the temple. Some
people could not appreciate this appeal of Ghosh (45). This
was not a new idea. In the past Brahmacharis and Bairagis,
by their efforts had collected funds for the repair of the
temple. But the repairing work by the committee was relly the
first attempt. The dilapidated condition of the temple
demanded an immediate repair and for which huge money
was needed (46).

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 In 1891 in Puri there was another organization called
Jagannatha Mandir Jirna Sansaarini Sabha whose main work
was to repair the temple by the collection of donations (bheda)
(47). The president of this Sabha was Ramanuja Das, the
mahanta of Badachhata Math and the vice president was
Babaji Jayaram Das, a native of Puri Baselisahi Odiya Math.
Babaji Saraju Ramdas, a native of Kalikadevi sahi
Samadhimath became the Executive secretary of this
organization. The secretary of the sabha was Baboo
Bhagabata Pattanaik who was a resident of Markendeswar
Sahi. The sabha hada working committee (Karya nirbahak
sabha) in Puri. Several branches of this organization were
established in different parts of India for the collection of
donations for the repair of the temple. By the effort of Sabha
and its branches in 1891-92 the amount to be collected which
was signed only was Rs. 43,384 and only Rs. 21,990 were
collected in cash. With this money Nilachakra, Guruvara
Marchana Mandapa, Dakshindwara Jhulana were repaired.
The remaining work of the kitchen of Lakshmi temple, Surya
temple, Singhadwara and the upper gumuta of the south gate
continued. Raja baidyanath Pandit for the repair of the temple
granted a heavy amount which was Rs. 5000. Maharaja of

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Keonjhar had granted Rs. 3000. The sabha had an estimated
of rupees 3 lakhs eight thousand and one hundread (Rs.
3,08,100) for the expenditure of the repair of the temple. But
by July 1892 only Rs. 72,000 were collected. By June 1893,
this amount was not even one lakh. According to the report of
the Sabha (1893) only Rs. 98,102 were signed to be collected
and only Rs. 47,316 were collected in cash. Rs. 39,283 was
already utilized for the work of repair. The repairing work
was entrusted by the Sabha to Baboo Rajnarayan Banerji and
an overseer. The Dipika of Agust 26, 1893 reported that the
repair of the main temple as well as the Bhoga Mandap and
Nisa Mandira and others were completed and coats of lime
were applied to them. This was due to the effort of the 53
honourary Secretary Bullarama Mallick and Assistant
Secretary Lal Bihari Ghosh in 1893. The repairing work and
the application of lime continued in 1894 and 1895. Despite
this effort of the local people to repair the temple in the 20 th
century again repairing was needed. In the 13thsession of
Utkal Union Conference which was held at Cuttack on March
30, 1917 under the presidentship of Saraswati Fakir Mohan
Senapati, an important proposal was for the repair of the
templeof Jagannatha. It was decided to form a committee for

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the collection of funds for the repair of the Jagannatha temple
(Jirna-sanskara). The committee consisted of Raja Mukunda
Deva, Rajasahib Dhenkanal, Rajbahadur Athagarh, Maharaja
Sonepur, Kanika Rajasahib, Mahanta Emarnath, Mahanta
Southside Math, Mahanta Radhakanta Math, Mahanta
Mahiprakash, Manager of the Puri temple, Mahanta
Uttaraparsva, Pandit Gopabandhu Das, Mahanahopadhyaya
Sadasiva Kavyakantha, Tajabahadur Parikud, Brajasunadara
Das, Raibahadur Sudam Charan Naik, ganeshlal Pandit and
Dinakrishna Chaudhuri. The proposal was presented by Pandit
Jayakrishna Mishra Kavyatirtha.8

After independence the work of the repair and

conservation of the temple was looked by a committee
appointed by the Government of Orissa in accordance with
the Jagannatha temple Act of 1954. The effort of the British
Government for this noble purpose is a chapter of lasting
interest to the historians of Orissa of the present day.

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