Puri, July 18 -- The disappearance of Lord Jagannath's Tahia (traditional floral headgear) during the Pahandi ritual of the Rath Yatra on July 16 has snowballed into a major controversy, with contradictory explanations from Daita servitors and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) triggering confusion among devotees and putting the Odisha government under scrutiny.
Conflicting accounts have emerged over why the Tahia was removed before Lord Jagannath reached the chariot, raising questions about the handling of one of the most sacred rituals associated with the annual Rath Yatra.
Daitapati Nijog president Ramakrishna Das Mahapatra told reporters that torrential rain damaged the Tahia during the Pahandi. According to him, the sho...