Jagannath temple in Puri. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 31: Thousands of devotees returned from Puri after being unable to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the temple due to the tussle between the servitors and the temple administration over the issue of admitting devotees inside the sanctum sanctorum.

All rituals relating to the deities were delayed for 13 hours as the servitors protested against the administration’s decision to ban the devotees as well as servitors who are not on duty entering the sanctum sanctorum.

An estimated one lakh people turned up at the temple on the last day of the year to have a darshan. The authorities expect nearly five lakh visitors tomorrow.

In order to ensure better crowd management, the administration has decided that the Paramanik darshan ticket holders would be allowed to have a darshan of the deities from the barricade (Bhitarachhu katha, 20 metres away from the idols) and no one would be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum and touch the altar on which the deities are installed.

“With five lakh people expected to visit the temple, it will not be wise to allow visitors inside the sanctum sanctorum. The decision was taken in consultation with the servitors. However, later some servitors went back on their promise and that’s how the trouble started,” temple chief administrator Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said.

Mohapatra alleged that the priests always “try to blackmail the administration” during major festive occasions. “We are quite firm in maintaining discipline and streamline the temple administration.”

Usually, there is a huge rush of devotes during the festive occasions like Dussehra, Kartik purnima, new year’s eve and new year’s day. The servitors take advantage of the rush and allow the devotees inside the sanctum sanctorum by taking money from them. Disputes often erupt between the servitors, who have temple service on the particular day and those who do not,” he said.

With both sides remaining adamant, the district collector and the superintendent of police had several rounds of discussions with the priests. Finally, it was resolved that restrictions imposed on the entry of visitors would remain in force only for two days —December 31 and January 1.

Puri SP Sanjay Kumar said: “Around 40 platoons of police force will be deployed in Puri town. Anti-terrorist squad and armed police force will be deployed. Traffic will also be regulated.”

Law minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, whose department looks after Jagananath Temple, said all efforts were being made to streamline the administration so that that devotees could have a darshan of the idols smoothly.

Precautionary measures were being taken to prevent stampede-like situation tomorrow.

On November 4, 2006, four devotees were killed and 30 others injured in a stampede inside the temple. The stampede had taken place when the crowd tried to enter into the main shrine for a darshan of the deities on the occasion of Badaosha festival.

On July 4, 2008, at least six people were killed and 40 others were injured in another stampede during the annual rath yatra. The incident took place when devotees tried to break a barricade. During rath yatra this year on July 13, a 55-year-old woman was killed and six others were injured.