Gods go ‘hungry’ in Udaipur due to GST
We have been unable to offer proper bhog to the gods for the past five to six days. We are only offering food being brought by the devotees
It’s not just the mere mortals who have been affected by the Goods and Services Tax (GST), but even the gods are feeling the pinch.
Deities in at least six temples in Udaipur have not been offered bhog (food) by the priests who blame the Devsthan department for not sending bhog material (sweets and snacks) ever since GST was implemented from July 1.
The food that is offered to the deities is called bhog and the same when distributed among the devotees is called prasadam. It is treated as a blessing from god.
“We have been unable to offer proper bhog to the gods for the past five to six days. We are only offering food being brought by the devotees,” head priest of Mathuradheeshji temple, Shailendra Dave, said. He also lamented that there was a delay in payment of salaries to the priests and other staff.
Other temples in Udaipur which are facing a similar issue are Jagat Shiromani, Shyam Sundarji, Vrindavan Chandramaji, Madan Mohanji, and Gokul Chandrama.
Assistant commissioner of Devsthan department, Jatin Gandhi, said that the bhog material could not be procured from the wholesale cooperative store due to delay in GST verification process. “Regular supply will resume from Monday. However, now that it has been brought to our attention, we will send supplies for a couple of days,” he said.
The state government’s Devsthan (abode of the gods) department is responsible for upkeep of temples and payment of salaries to priests and other temple staff.
Udaipur Sahkari Upbhokta Bhandar general manager Ashutosh Bhatt, however, denied any impact of GST on the sales and blamed the Devsthan department for not procuring bhog material.
Meanwhile, until the matter is resolved, the gods too will have wait for the usual sumptuous fare comprising sweets, snacks and fruits.