PURI: Chief priest Sri Jagannath Temple Laxmi Narayan Patjoshi Mohapatra died of cardiac arrest here today triggering uncertainty over his successor as his son is a minor to be anointed to the hereditary post. Mohapatra, who was only 32, was ill for some time. He is survived by wife, daughter and son.

The death caused a crisis as his five-year-old son cannot be anointed to the hereditary post of the 12th century shrine. Faced with the prospect of the post lying vacant till the child grows up, priests of all the 36 categories convened an emergency meeting this evening to resolve the crisis.

According to the temple record of rights (RoR), the chief priest is the person on whose permission one can be inducted into the service of the lord.