Author: Soumyajit Pattnaik
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: May 17, 2006
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1699766,0035.htm
Christians are barred from entering the Jagannath
temple at Puri but a Geneva-based Christian lawyer has donated nearly $400,000
(Rs 1.78 crore) to the shrine - the amount is more than the total donation
received last year.
Elizabeth Ziggler's spiritual tryst with the
Jagannath temple began a decade ago. She stood outside the temple wall and
left. But her donations kept coming in.
Suresh Mohapatra, an IAS official who is the
chief administrative officer of the temple, told HT: "We had received
around $45,000 from Ziggler in 2000-03. But the recent donation of around
$400,000 is the highest amount ever to have donated by any individual or group
to the shrine."
Earlier, Ziggler would ask some rituals to
be performed on her behalf. It could be feeding the Brahmins or hoisting a
flag atop the temple from her donations. This time, however, she has not mentioned
any particular purpose.
