Puri: Tension prevailed at Shree Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Sunday following a dispute between temple servitors and security personnel over a new queue arrangement for devotees.
Sources said the issue cropped up when the Special Security Force deployed at the temple introduced a single-line queue system below the Sata Pahacha, a key route for darshan inside the shrine.
It was claimed that the move was implemented without prior discussion with the temple servitors. The servitors strongly objected to the change, arguing that it went against long-standing temple customs and established darshan procedures.
The altercation soon escalated into a heated exchange between the two sides amid reports of pushing and jostling in the area. The scuffle created temporary chaos and inconvenience for devotees for some time.
The servitors stopped darshan through the Sata Pahacha route as a mark of protest. They stated that any change in darshan arrangements must involve consultation with the temple administration and those traditionally responsible for temple rituals.
Temple authorities later intervened and initiated discussions with both the servitors and security personnel in a bid to defuse the situation and restore normalcy.
