Devotees Ignore Experimental ‘Dhadi Darshan’, Barge Into Jagannath Temple

Puri: The experimental ‘Dhadi (queue) Darshan’ introduced by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) from Monday turned into a fiasco as the devotees barged into the temple for the darshan of the Lords.

As soon as the Simhadwara (main gate) was opened at 5.30 am, thousands of devotees, mostly locals, barged into the temple for the Mangala Alati of the Lords ignoring the order of the temple administration.

Talking to the media, Puri collector Jyoti Prakash Das said barricades were erected outside the temple to facilitate the devotees to move in a queue inside the temple premises. “We had not put up barricades inside the temple. The devotees should have patiently adhered to the directive of the temple administration. We will examine the CCTV footage to find out who had breached the dhadi darshan system,” he added.

He, however, said that the district administration and the temple administration are open to the opinion of the devotees about the problems they face due to the ‘dhadi darshan’ so that they will make alternative arrangements.

“We will review the incident that took place today and decide what other measures should be taken inside the temple for the smooth darshan,” the collector added.

Acting on the directive of the Supreme Court for implementation of some of the reforms proposals, SJTA has decided to experiment with the queue system at Jagannath Temple from October 1.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Jagannath Temple Managing Committee presided over by the Gajapati Maharaja, Dibyasingh Deb here on September 27.

Talking to the media after the meeting, SJTA chief administrato Pradipta Mohapatra said that the devotees will enter the temple from the Simhadwara (entrance gate) and move in a queue inside barricades. After the darshan of the Lords, the devotees will exit through three gates of temple.