“No Bhog, no Puja offered at Lingaraj Temple in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar for 3 days: Know what is the issue and why Makar Sankranti rituals were stalled”, Opindia, January 15, 2025:

“Following a scuffle between two groups of servitors, Bhog has not been offered to the deity in the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha since Monday. As per reports, there is a disagreement between Badu Nijog and Mahasuara Nijog servitors over Makar Sankranti rituals. All the temple rituals, including bhog, have been disrupted due to the disagreement.

During Makar Sankranti, special rituals are observed in the Lingaraj temple for three days. The rituals begin on the eve of Makar Sankranti with ‘Pushyabhisheka Sandhya Dhupa’ ritual. This involves bringing the deity outside of the sanctum sanctorum and seating him atop the ‘Makara Mandap’ located within the premises of the Lingaraj temple.

On the day of Makar Sankranti, ‘Makara Ghee’ or ‘Ghruta Kamala’ is offered to the deity in a ritual called ‘Ghruta Kamala Lagi’. It is prepared using milk collected from some specific ‘Samantra’ households of Badu Sahi. It is believed that the ‘Ghruta Kamala’ is applied to relieve the diety of winter dryness……”

Read the full article at Opindia.com