The Odisha government on Thursday sounded an alert over advancing cyclonic storm “Komen”, which will precipitate heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coastal areas in the next 24 hours.

Water Resources Secretary Pradeep Jena said district collectors have been asked to remain alert to deal with the possible impact of “Komen”.

The Met department warned fishermen not to venture into the sea during the period.

He said that water in the Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga rivers, which was flowing above the danger mark on Wednesday, was now receding.

Prepared by 600-700 cooks and partaken by up to 50,000 pilgrims daily generating a business of Rs 8-12 lakhs, the mouth-watering ‘Mahaprasad’ (food first offered to the deity) of the Jagannath Temple has retained its appeal among tens of millions of devotees for ages.

The Mahaprasad cooked on the premises of the temple at Ananda Bazar (abode of peace) – deemed to be the biggest open-air eatery in the world – is consumed by thousands of devotees, who purchase and eat together irrespective of their caste, creed or status.

“We, on an average, cook Mahaparasad for 20,000 people on any given day and on special occasions, we prepare food for nearly 50,000 people,” Damodar Mahasuar, the president of the suar nijog (temple cooks), told IANS.

Mahaprasad is only cooked in earthen pots on wood fires.

“We use 40 to 50 quintals rice and 20 quintal dal (pulses) daily, besides other vegetables to cook the Mahaprasad, which is sold at a cheaper rate so that anyone can avail of it,” Damodar said.

A kudua (assimilation of clay containers) containing rice and different types of dal and vegetables starts from Rs. 50.

Sources said about Rs.800,000-Rs.10,00,000 ($12,500-$15,500) is generated every day from the sale of Mahaprasad.

According to an official of the temple administration, an order can be placed for a ‘Baihandi’ costing Rs.2,000 which can be served at a community feast on auspicious occasions.

“The steam-cooked food is offered to Lord Jagannath first and then to Goddess Bimala after which it becomes Mahaprasad. Mahaprasad is treated here as ‘Anna Bramha’ (symbolising our existence),” said the website of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).

Mahaprasad is of two types – ‘Sankudi’ and ‘Sukhila’ (dried). ‘Sankudi’ Mahaprasad includes items like rice, ghee rice, mixed rice, cumin seed and asaphoetida-ginger rice mixed with salt and dishes like sweet dal, plain dal mixed with vegetables, mixed curries of different types, ‘Saaga Bhaja'(spinach fry), porridge and the like.

All these are offered to the Lord in ritualistic ways.

While thousands of devotees relish the Odia delicacies at the Ananda Bazar, people also take Mahaprasad to their homes to offer it to their guests during social functions such as thread ceremonies and weddings.

Linking the Gurdaspur attack to Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the three terrorists had infiltrated from there to carry out the strike and asserted that the government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism.

Making a statement in Rajya Sabha on Monday’s attack in Punjab, he said “any effort by the enemies of our nation to undermine India’s territorial integrity and security or imperil the safety and security of our citizens will meet an effective and forceful response from our security forces.”

The government “has been and will remain resolute in this regard”, he said.

Singh made the statement amid din created by Congress members which was strongly disapproved of by Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who said it was “not politics” but a “statement on a terrorist attack” that concerns the security of the country.

However, as the unrelenting Congress members continued to shout slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Singh said, “I take this opportunity to assure the House that the government is firmly to root out terrorism from India.”

The Home Minister also assured the House that “the government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism aimed against India.”

Giving details of the attack in Punjab, he said, “Preliminary analyses of GPS data indicates that the terrorists had infiltrated from Pakistan through the area near Tash in Gurdaspur district, where the Ravi River enters Pakistan.”

It is also suspected, he said, that the same terrorists had planted five IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) on the railway track near Talwandi village between Dinanagar and Jhakoladi which were subsequently defused by the bomb disposal squad. A night vision device was also recovered from the spot.

“The security forces in the border are alert but the difficult terrain coupled with recent heavy rains, resulting in excess flow in the rivers and canals along the border could have been a factor, in this particular group sneaking into Punjab,” the Home Minister said.

A 14-year-old rape survivor from Gujarat has been allowed abortion by a medical panel constituted by the Supreme Court.

On July 28, the SC had came to the rescue of the minor rape victim who was denied permission by the High Court to terminate her pregnancy, by ordering that the requisite surgery may be done if the gynaecologists and clinical psychologists permit it.

The minor became pregnant after being allegedly raped by her doctor Jatin Bhai K Mehta when she had visited him after suffering from typhoid in February.

She was denied permission by the Gujarat High Court to abort the foetus.

Initially, the bench of Justices AR Dave and Kurian Joseph had said it would not like to do something which is contrary to law.

As per law, abortion beyond 20 weeks is not allowed. The girl is said to be 25 weeks pregnant.

“Team of 5 doctors has given permission to abort 25-week pregnancy of 14-year-old rape victim in Gujarat,” Civil hospital Medical Superintendent said.

The bench, after hearing Kamini Jaiswal, appearing for the minor victim, said it would direct the authorities at the Civil Hospital at Ahmedabad to get the girl examined by two senior-most gynaecologists and a clinical psychologist.

“If they (experts) say that she has to be operated upon then let them do it with the consent of the girl and her parents,” it had said.

If there is a “serious threat” to her life in case the foetus is not aborted, then the surgeons and the clinical experts can together take a decision on termination of her pregnancy, the bench had added.

While issuing notice on the plea, it had also said that in case of abortion, a DNA test should be done on the foetus which could help in the criminal trial of rape.

Earlier, the appeal was filed by the parents of the minor girl against the order of the Gujarat High Court which, besides expressing sympathy, refused to grant her permission to abort the child conceived by her due to ghastly act of rape committed on her.