Delay In Rituals Cause Long Queues Outside Puri Jagannath Temple; Devotees Wait For Hours For Darshan

Puri: Thousands of devotees had to wait for hours outside Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri on Monday due to delay in morning rituals in the shrine. Long queues of devotees were seen outside the 12^th century shrine.

The plight of the devotees, who thronged the pilgrim town for darshan of the sibling deities, was compounded as the gate opened very late for them to enter the temple, sources said.

The rituals were allegedly performed late by the servitors. The pahuda rituals on Harisayana Ekadashi Niti on Saturday which should have been completed by midnight was over on Sunday morning. Similarly, on the occasion of Garuda Sayana Dwadashi, the pahuda ritual ended at 2 am. Following the delay in the rituals, Mangala alati was performed at 7 am on Monday.

The delay by the servitors made devotees to wait for hours for the darshan of the deities. Senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra said long time taken for Harisayana Ekadashi Niti caused delay in the opening of gate on Sunday. Moreover, a large number of rituals had to be performed and all those led to the delay, added Dasmohapatra.

Noted scholar Pandit Surya Narayan Rathasharma claimed that a few servitors cause delay in rituals, and said that the administration should take strict action to ensure timely conduct of Nitis.