A Discourse on the Muts in Orrissa

This extremely rare English article was written by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in 1860 during his residence in Bhadrak, Orissa. In it, he exposes the moral decay, corruption, and vice that had become entrenched within many of the maṭhas of Oḍiṣa under the leadership of their mahants and temple authorities. Writing with remarkable boldness and social concern, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura appeals to the British administration to intervene by establishing a special body of inspectors to investigate and regulate the activities of these religious institutions. The article stands as an important early example of his reformist vision and his determination to restore genuine spiritual integrity to religious life.

We have retained the original spelling and orthography throughout the article and have included a glossary at the end containing explanations of archaic expressions, historical references, and unusual spellings of place names and other terms.