Puri: Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Monday ordered a probe into the alleged unauthorised sale of ‘Mahaprasad’ outside the 12th-century shrine, after people were found selling cooked food to devotees near the northern gate on Sunday.Puri collector and temple’s deputy chief administrator Dibyajyoti Parida said action would be taken against those found involved.“An investigation has begun. ‘Mahaprasad’ is supposed to be sold at Anand Bazaar. If anyone is selling it outside the temple without permission, action will be taken against them. Cheating people by selling food in the name of ‘Mahaprasad’ is also punishable. The matter will be discussed at the meetings of the ‘Chhatisha Nijog’ and temple managing committee,” Parida said.On Sunday, some people were seen carrying cooked rice, dal, ‘dalma’, ‘besara’, ‘mahura’ and ‘kanika’ in a bamboo basket and selling them on sal leaf plates.It is yet to be established whether the food was genuine ‘Mahaprasad’ or had been cooked outside the temple and sold in its name. While some devotees purchased and consumed the food, others objected to the practice.Anand Bazaar inside the Srimandir is the designated place for the sale of ‘Mahaprasad’ under the supervision of Suar Mahasuar Nijog. Servitors and devotees questioned its purported sale outside the temple, pointing out that neither the Suar Mahasuar Nijog nor the temple administration had made any provision for such sales.The incident has also sparked concerns that devotees could be overcharged or cheated by people selling food in the name of the ‘Mahaprasad’.The temple administration has taken steps to protect the religious and traditional sanctity of the ‘Mahaprasad’ by registering its trademark and wordmark to prevent commercial misuse. However, the alleged unauthorised sale near the temple and along Bada Danda has raised concerns.Jagannath devotee Santosh Panda urged the temple administration to intensify surveillance around all temple gates to prevent unauthorised sale of the ‘Mahaprasad’ outside Anand Bazaar.