Auction of Arpan rice contributes ₹2.86 crore to Puri temple funds

Bhubaneswar, Oct 4: An auction of approximately 10,300 quintals of "Arpan Rice" generated ₹2.86 crore for the Puri Srimandir fund. According to Siddharth Shankar Swain, the Puri District Collector and Deputy Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the entire stock was purchased by Suresh Kumar Mohanty from Nimapada Ma Tardhana Rice Mill.

The total collection amounted to 14,017.23 quintals, which was transported to Puri. Out of this, 4,610.44 quintals were stored at Srigundicha Temple, 2,618.07 quintals with the Akshayapatra Foundation, and 6,788.72 quintals at a Supply Department godown in Puri.

Previously, 3,856.84 quintals from Srigundicha Temple had been allocated to Suar Mahasura Nijoga. Plans were made to use the Arpan Rice for preparing Mahaprasad to distribute to devotees at the Puri Jagannath Temple. However, following a change in government, the preparation and distribution of Mahaprasad ceased, leading to some rice being deemed unfit for use and subsequently auctioned.