Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be called Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955. (2) Sections 1, 2, and 3 shall come into force at once and the rest of the provisions of this-Act shall come into force on such date* as the State Government may, by notification, appoint in this behalf.

(1) The provisions of the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951 (Orissa Act 2 of 1952) shall cease to apply to the said Temple except with respect to actions taken, things done and contributions levied and the same shall be deemed to have been validly taken, done and levied as if this Act had not been passed: Provided that the State Government shall, after having due regard to the financial position of the Temple, have power to exempt it from the payment of the whole of any part of the contributions so levied and due, immediately-before the date of commencement of this Act, anything in any law or contract, or judgment, decree or order of any Court to the contrary notwithstanding. (2) All laws, regulations and other enactments passed for the purpose of providing for the management of the affairs of the Temple and its properties and all deeds executed in favour of and all arrangements entered into for the said purpose with the Raja of Khurda or the Raja of Puri, as the case may be, prior to the commencement of this Act, in so far as such enactments, deeds or arrangements are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, shall cease to have any effect.

The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952 shall be deemed to be a part of this Act and all or any the powers and the functions of the State Government under the said Act shall be exercisable by the Committee under this Act from such date or dates as the State Government may by notification direct.

(1) In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context- (a) “Committee” means the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee constituted under this Act; 1[(a-1) "Nijoga" means an association of Sevaks recognized as such by the Committee]; (b) “Prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under this Act; (c) “Raja of Puri” means the person on whom rests for the time being the obligation of discharging the duties of a Sevak in respect of the Gajapati Maharaj Seva as recorded in the Record of Rights; (d) “Record of Rights” means the Record of Rights prepared under the Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act (XIV of 1952); 1(d-1) “Sevak” means any person who is recorded as such in the record of rights or is recognised by a competent authority as a Sevak or his substitute or has acquired the rights of a Sevak by means of any recognised mode of transfer and includes a person appointed to perform any niti or Seva under Clause (i) of Sub-section (2) of Section 21;] (e) “Temple Fund” shall mean the Shri Jagannath Temple Fund constituted under Section 28; (f) “Year” means financial year; (g) the words and expressions defined in the Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952 (Orissa Act XIV of 1952) and used in this Act shall have the same meaning in this Act. (2) For the removal of doubts it is hereby declared that any reference to the word ‘Temple’ in either of the enactments aforesaid may, if the subject or context so permits, be construed as a reference also to the deity, if any, installed in such temple.